The Program
by evanrules8
Summary: An all new edition of The Program is taking place, and this time, there will be no escape. How will the newest batch of fifty victims handle the stress of the new and improved Program? Only time will tell.
1. Introduction

" _Sun is shining in the sky. There aint a cloud in sight. "_

Itzel Janik (Girl #19) slowly opened her eyes as the music from her alarm began to play. The light was starting to flood into her room and she knew that it was time for school. Itzel rubbed her sleepy eyes and groggily shut off her alarm. She shuffled her way into the bathroom and began to prepare for her day. Same old, same old. Itzel splashed some water onto her face and looked at herself in the mirror. As usual, she despised what she saw.

 _Why can't I be one of the pretty ones?_ Itzel wondered to herself. Though most people would definitely not consider Itzel ugly, she had never thought highly of herself. Some of the guys in the school had been attracted to her "exotic" look, but Itzel never paid them any attention. Itzel had always considered herself a pessimist and had never cared to try to see the world in a more positive way. What was the point of that? Itzel was smart enough to know that the world was full of disaster and if she had high expectations she would just be let down. Itzel's one and only friend (or at least the only person she considered to be a friend) was Mina Tsai (Girl #13). Itzel never understood why and Mina had connected the way they had. Mina was always a bubbly and cheerful girl who had a bright, bubbly personality. Normally, Itzel hated girls like her, but Mina had been an exception.

" _If you have a better outlook on things, then you'll find that things just work out better for you."_ Mina had always told Itzel. Itzel knew she could never be as fun, as positive, or as pretty as Mina was. Mina's cute smile, her petite body, her smooth skin, and her jet black hair made her a very attractive girl. A girl that Itzel could not deny her true feelings for.

Itzel got dressed and gathered up all of her things. It was hard to believe that today was really the last day of high school. After this, there would be no more hell to endure every single day. Itzel would be free and would no longer have to deal with all of the people at her school that had annoyed her for the better part of her life. That thought actually made Itzel smile.

She walked out her door and began her walk to school. Itzel passed by a group of young elementary school kids laughing and giggling as they also made their way to their school. _If only I could go back to those days._ Thought Itzel. She had always dreamt of going back to the days of elementary school, back when there were no real problems. She crossed the street and continued her walk. In the distance she heard a car honk and turned as a fancy Corvette came speeding down the road.

"LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, BITCHES!" Screamed a voice from inside. Itzel was only able to catch a glimpse of the driver, but she knew who it was regardless. The only kid in the entire school who could afford a nice car like that was Darren Tabor (Boy #5). His dad had been a professional NBA player, and Darren was set for the rest of his life. He never had to work for anything and always made sure to rub his money in the face of others. He and his other rich snobby friends were never shy about flaunting whatever new products they had received. Itzel assumed that he was in the car with his girlfriend Sara Johnson (Girl #11) or his best friend Emilio Cammelli (Boy #18). Either way, Itzel didn't care at all.

 _Good riddance, I will never have to see any of you ever again._ Thought Itzel as she continued to make her way to the school. She was slightly embarrassed at the fact that she still had to walk to school as a senior. While most of her classmates owned cars, Itzel didn't even have her driver's license. She had no motivation whatsoever to attempt to get her driver's license. Even if she did possess a driver's license, there was no way in hell Itzel could ever afford a car. Just another reason she hated being one of the poor ones in town. She knew people like Darren always looked down on her and there was nothing she could do about it.

Itzel cracked her knuckles as she stared down at the ground and began thinking about all that her high school experience had taught her. Survival of the fittest had definitely applied to the last four years of her life. As cliche as it was, it was true. In high school the strong survived and prevailed while the weak never stood a chance. The outsiders never stood a chance. Itzel had remained quiet and always tended to stay out of drama. She knew that nobody would miss her once high school was over, but she also would not miss any of her classmates. Itzel would never amount to anything and she knew it. Average grades, average looks (though Itzel felt her looks were below average), and an average attitude would all amount to an average life for Itzel. She would probably end up working at some gas station for the rest of her life and die before the age of thirty.

Itzel shook this thought out of her head. _No way, I know I can amount to more than that._ But could she? Itzel had no plans of going to college, she knew she couldn't afford it. She also didn't have any passion. Itzel didn't know what she would study, and frankly she didn't care either. Suddenly, Mina's face appeared in her mind and she remembered bits and pieces of a conversation the two had had only three weeks prior.

"... _I see so much potential in you, Itzel. You're my best friend, and I wish you could see yourself the way that I see you."_

Itzel smiled to herself as she remembered what her best friend in the entire world had told her. For as long as Itzel could remember, she had considered herself a nothing. But the funniest, nicest, and prettiest girl she had ever known saw so much more in her. If Mina believed in Itzel so much, why the hell shouldn't Itzel believe in herself?

Suddenly Itzel's mind started spinning. _I don't have to be like this, I don't have to stay like this._ She thought. _High school is just one part of my life, and that's almost over. I have to consider what I'm going to do with the rest of my life, and who I'm going to spend it with. Mina...I have to tell you how I feel, I may never see you again._

Mina would be heading off to an elite college that fall, and although Mina had assured Itzel that the two best friends would stay in contact, Itzel wasn't so sure. _I know we still have all summer together, but I have to tell you now._ Itzel made up her mind. She was going to tell Mina that she was the prettiest girl she had ever seen and that she had had a crush on her since all the way back in 7th grade. _Even if she doesn't feel the same way for me, I still have to let her know._ Itzel smiled at the thought of Mina potentially having the same feelings.

 _Maybe Mina was right, maybe I have been too negative. High school is almost over, I'm ready to move on with my life. I need to make the most of this day. I'll tell Mina how I feel and I'll enjoy the last day with my teachers and my fellow students while I still can._ Itzel was a block away from the school. _I'm going to try to be nice today. Maybe a positive attitude really can change the way things turn out for me. This is the beginning of a new start for me._ Itzel stepped out onto the road, almost arriving at the school. _I'm going to make today the best day eve-_

The truck slammed full force into Itzel and sent her fragile body flying into the air. The truck had been going a good thirty miles above the speed limit. Itzel had been so distracted with her thoughts that she had not seen the truck coming (the truck was a good distance away from her anyway, it was just going so damn fast). Itzel flew through the air and landed with a loud thud on the pavement. There was a loud cracking sound as her body slid across the pavement and several of her bones were broken. She was instantly dead. The few witnesses who had been hanging around the school began to react. A few screams were let out and people began running toward Itzel's body.

"You're welcome." That was the only thing the driver of the red truck said as he quickly drove past the body and off into the distance. No one had been able to see his license plate.

"Get back here you bastard!" Shouted Carter Koenig (Boy #13) as he ran toward the road. He had tried to chase the truck down but knew there was no point. The truck was long gone by now. Carter decided to turn his attention toward the crumpled mess of a body that was on the road. He could barely recognize the heap that was there before him. A few other people had gathered, and they the noise had attracted others. "Someone call the police." Said Carter as he made his way to the body.

Carter bent down and checked Itzel's pulse. His worst fears were true. "She's dead." He said shakingly.

Shayna Sull (Girl #17) was on the phone with the police. "There was a terrible hit and run right in front of the school!" She shouted frantically, "Please help. I think she's dead, we don't know who the guy was or where he went."

Mina exited the school hearing all of the noise. "Shayna, what's going on?" She demanded as Shayna hung up the phone.

"It's Itzel…" Started Shayna but Mina's eyes had already wandered over to where the crowd of people had gathered.

"...No…" Was all Mina was able to mutter as she ran to the crowd and pushed people out of the way. "No, no, no, no." She saw the crumpled mess of her former best friend on the pavement. "NOOOOOOOO!" She screamed one last time before she collapsed onto the pavement next to her friend. The others in the crowd began to shake her trying to wake up the girl who had just fainted.

Miles away by now, the driver of the car arrived back at his home and switched into another car. He was heading right back to the school. "That girl has no idea just how lucky she was." He said to himself as he entered his other car and began his drive back to the school. 49 classmates of the girl he had killed in broad daylight would not be quite as lucky. He could only hope the rest of them could achieve a quick death without suffering, just like Itzel.

 **49 Students Remaining**


	2. Pre-Game

Cam Perez (Boy #22) sat in his seat in his first period class. He was always the first one in all of his classes. Described by many as a geek and a basket case, and as "the kind of guy who would shoot up a school" by Brooke Hiney (Girl #3), Cam was, unsurprisingly, not liked by many of his classmates. Cam was totally oblivious to his classmates' feelings towards him. Whenever they would call him names, push him around, steal his things, Cam knew they were just joking and messing around with him. Friends joked around with each other all the time. That's why Cam smiled when his "friends" Charles Mulindi (Boy #24) and Arianna Johnson (Girl #15) walked into the room.

Charles was originally from Kenya and had moved to the United States when he was twelve years old. Although it was hard for Charles to adjust to his new lifestyle at first, he had eventually been able to fit in at school pretty well. Charles had a decent number of friends, but he was still picked on by a lot of his more popular peers. Whether it was for his accent, his sometimes awkward tendencies, or his long dreadlocks, someone always had a reason to pick on Charles. Charles saw Cam wave at him at as he entered the classroom. Charles smiled and waved but did not bother striking up a conversation with that weirdo.

Arianna was finishing her long-winded speech about the new organic food she had grown in her garden. She was babbling on and on and moving her hands spastically as she finished telling Charles about all of her fresh food. Arianna was a total loser and she knew it. Arianna came from one of the richest families in the area and got almost everything she wanted. However, Arianna didn't care about any of that. Despite all of the fancy clothing Arianna's mother had provided her with, Arianna chose to dress in a style that her family described as trashy. She wore jeans that had holes and rips in them and grungy t-shirts and plaid. Arianna preferred her clothes to be comfortable as opposed to attractive. Her sister, Sara Johnson (Girl #11) was one of the most popular girls in the entire school. Arianna loved her sister, but her sister seemed to not return her feelings. The two never talked, even at home, and Arianna longed to have the friendship that the two girls had had back in their early childhood.

"That's really cool, Arianna," Said Charles, pretending like he had been paying attention.

"You can come over sometime and I can cook you up a great organic meal," Said Arianna as she imagined all the delicious new ingredients she could use to prepare a dish.

"Why don't you just have your cooks prepare your food?" Asked Charles.

"I prefer to do my own cooking," Replied Arianna with slight disdain in her voice.

"You have cooks?" Asked Cam as he forcefully interjected himself into their conversation.

"Yeah, but I don't ever use them," Replied Arianna as she turned her attention back to Charles. "After graduation my sister is going to-"

"How did you become so rich?" Asked Cam as he interrupted Arianna.

"My dad is the CEO of-"

"How much money is your house worth? How many servants do you have? Do you get an allowance?" Cam asked these questions one after another without giving Arianna a chance to respond.

Arianna opened her mouth to respond, but a voice from the door said, "Don't even bother with him."

The voice belonged to Lee Gauron (Boy #10). He was one of Cam's "friends."

"Hey Lee, nice joke buddy," Laughed Cam as he smiled brightly.

"Hey spic," Replied Lee as he walked to the back of the class and sat down in his seat.

Charles cringed at the offensive language that Lee had used, but he looked over and saw that Cam was smiling.

"Funny," Replied Cam as he chuckled. He turned away from Lee and began to focus back on his novel. He was reading a book called _Battle Royale._ The book had been a commercial success in Japan despite its controversial nature, but it had led to something horrible. A year after the book was published, the government had decided to make The Program a reality. They had picked a random class of Japanese students and forced them to kill each other. Of course there was public outcry, but the government had managed to quell it all. The Japanese government had made The Program much more like a reality show than the novel had portrayed it as. The success of the show in Japan led to other countries deciding to make their own Program. The United Kingdom, France, Egypt, India, and Australia had been the first. By two years after the first Program in Japan, The Program had spread to twenty other countries around the world. And in 2001, the first Program had taken place on U.S. soil. The winner of the first Program had died shortly after the game was over, and there was no winner of the second season as the students had banded together and refused to kill each other. The third season was the first season to produce a winner that managed to stay alive after the whole thing was said and done. There had been an attempt to escape that season (which had almost succeeded) and so the countries around the world had done everything in their power to prevent escape. For one, the metal collars that had been used in the original novel were now replaced by microchips that were implanted under the skin. Being in a danger zone would immediately cause a toxin to be released into the student's body. The islands on which the games took place were also always surrounded by an electric fence. This had proved effective as there had never been an escape since France's 2004 season (the electric fence and chips had been implemented in 2005).

"Kids, I need you to come with me."

Cam shook the thoughts of The Program out of his head and looked up at the man standing in the doorway of the classroom. It was the principal of their school, Mr. Wright. He had a nervous look on his face and he appeared to be in dealing with quite a bit of stress.

"Where are we going?" Asked Lee in an aggravated tone.

"You four were supposed to report to the auditorium, don't you remember the announcement last week?" Asked Mr. Wright as he fidgeted his hands and swayed side to side.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Said Cam, "I guess that explains why no one else in the class is here yet."

"We're all waiting for you," Said Mr. Wright as his voice suddenly turned angry and his face began to flush red. "Get moving, NOW!"

The four students in the room quickly got up and began to move toward the auditorium. Lee muttered something under his breath as he passed by Mr. Wright. Once the four students were out of the room, Mr. Wright shut off the classroom light and shut the door. _God help them._ He thought to himself as he followed closely behind the students.

Cam could not stop thinking about how odd this whole situation was. Their school never had anything like this happen. If there was ever an assembly that needed to happen, all of the student body (or at least all students of a certain grade) would meet in the auditorium or the gym. Instead, last week, an announcement had come on at the end of the day and a list of students had their names read off. They were all to report to the auditorium on the morning of the last day of school. Cam had forgotten about this but he was now on his way. He wondered what this could possibly be about. Was it something to do with graduation? The only people whose names had been read out were seniors. They all seemed to represent certain archetypes of the school. All of the big names had been read out, the popular ones like Sara Johnson, the loners like Itzel Janik (Girl #19), and the losers like Charles. Cam, and many of the other students, had no idea that Itzel had died a mere ten minutes ago.

Cam neared the auditorium and a brief thought passed his mind. _You're being chosen for The Program._ Cam immediately shook the thought away. They would never do something like this. The contestants chosen for The Program were always just gassed on a bus on the way to some sort of fake school trip. Cam decided that this had to be something to do with graduation.

Cam saw Elysia Harder (Girl #1) slowly make her way to the auditorium from the other side of the hallway. She was fairly slow moving down the hallway because of her new crutches. Elysia still did not have the hang of maneuvering with the crutches. She had fallen off of her skateboard and severely damaged one of her legs about a week ago. She had recovered, but was now on crutches (and so close to graduation). Cam waved to her but she pretended not to notice.

The five of them entered the auditorium and they were met with avid conversation. There was chattering all around the room. Cam looked around to try and locate any friends that he could sit with. He looked over and saw Mina Tsai (Girl #13) crying her eyes out while being comforted by Shayna Sull (Girl #17). Mina had tried to leave the school after she had awoken from her fainting. However, she and the other students who were lingering outside were forced back into the school. Mina had screamed and thrown a fit but it was all to no avail. They were forced into the auditorium by the security guards of the school.

Cam decided to just sit in the back with the other four students who had just entered the auditorium with him. Mr. Wright headed to the front of the stage and stared at the students before him. "Everyone quiet down, settle down," He said.

The chatter quieted down a bit but there were still a lot of whisperings. "SHUT UP NOW!" Screamed Mr. Wright. There was an immediate silence

"Ah shit nigga!" Shouted someone from the audience. The students erupted in a roar of laughter.

Mr. Wright glared angrily at Gustavo Hickson (Boy #8), the person who had just yelled out.

"Do you know why you've been called here?" Asked Mr. Wright. He had shifted from nervousness, to anger, and now he was back to his nervous state. "You all represent and personify many of the stereotypical archetypes of high school."

"What the hell does that mean?" Charles asked as he leaned over to Arianna.

"Shut up, idiot, I'm trying to listen," Replied Cam angrily.

"You all would make for a great and diverse cast for a reality television show," Mr. Wright continued.

Cam felt his eyes start to feel heavy. _What's going on? Why am I so….so...sleepy?_ Cam immediately jolted up. _No...no...no….it….is...happening._ Cam managed to glance over to his left and saw Elysia start to close her eyes.

"A reality television show like The American Program!" Finished Mr. Wright. By that time he knew that the sleeping gas would be taking effect and that there was nothing that could be done. Soldiers already began to enter and were checking to make sure all of the students were there and accounted for.

"Sir, there is a student missing," Said one of the soldiers, "Girl Number 19 Itzel Janik is not here."

"She was hit by a car this morning," Replied Mr. Wright with no emotion in his voice.

"Sir, the numbers are going to be uneven now," The soldier said as other soldiers began to move the unconscious students to a bus that would transport them to the island.

"That won't be a problem," Replied a new man as he walked out onto the auditorium stage. The new man stuck his hand out and Mr. Wright shook it. "My name is Tony Parsons, I'm the director in charge of this season. You've done your job, you can go back to your office."

Mr. Wright nodded. He had no words to say. The fact that his school had been randomly selected for this year's Program had frustrated and saddened him to no end. He only wished that the students who didn't make it to the end would die quickly without much suffering.

* * *

Tony Parsons stared without emotion at the lumps of masses that were scattered before him. The forty-nine students whose lives were about to be ruined. Parsons looked as one of the students began to stir. It was a male contestant, the one who had yelled out at in the auditorium. Gustavo shook his head and quickly looked around. Gustavo noticed that he was in a classroom, but it was a classroom that he did not recognize. That's when he looked to the front and noticed Parsons standing there.

"What the fuck is going on?" Asked Gustavo. Parsons said nothing.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?" Yelled Gustavo. At this point most of the other students began to wake up. There were whisperings and mutterings all around which eventually turned into an uproar. A lone scream pierced the air.

"Yes, yes, settle down," Said Parsons as he saw the look of panic come across the face of all the students.

"Where the hell are we?" Asked Mina Tsai as she stared sadly at Parsons.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm sure you've all seen this show before. You guys are the lucky contestants for this year's Program!"

Many of the students screamed. The others were too shocked and afraid to react at all.

"Don't even think about freaking out or running around," Said Parsons as he snapped his fingers and a line of soldiers entered the classroom. He pulled out a gun from his inside his jacket. "If anybody tries anything we won't hesitate to kill you."

"Oh hell no!" Shouted Gustavo. He immediately rushed forward and punched one of the soldiers in the face.

"Stop it, you idiot!" Shouted Cam Perez.

One of the other soldiers immediately hit Gustavo with the butt of his rifle. The others all aimed their guns at him. Gustavo shrunk back, but the anger didn't leave his face.

"Go on, fucking shoot me you pussy faggots!" Shouted Gustavo. Parsons motioned for the soldiers to lower their guns.

"You know, people like you are the reason this Program happens," Said Parsons. "Ignorant little thugs who will never amount to anything. Do you hear me? You won't amount to anything!"

"Fuck you," Said Gustavo.

"Why do you insist on acting out, Gustavo?" Asked Parsons. "Do you think it was because your dad left your pregnant mother before you were even born? Do you think it's because of growing up in that tiny little apartment with your ten siblings? Do you think it's because deep down inside you know you're a worthless sack of shit? What do you think?"

Gustavo screamed in rage and charged at Parsons. The soldiers blocked his way and pointed their guns at Gustavo again.

"No, no," Said Parsons, "Allow me." Parsons pushed past the soldiers and stared Gustavo straight in the eyes.

Gustavo immediately threw a punch but Parsons blocked it. "You are a pathetic leech on society. No one will miss you." Parsons put the gun against Gustavo's forehead and without another word calmly pulled the trigger. Gustavo's body fell straight backwards and landed right in front of Cam. He screamed.

Many of the students backed up as far as they could. Screams echoed throughout the classroom and many of the students began to cry profusely.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Cried Rosanna Morani (Girl #7) as she made her way to the front of the crowd and began weeping over the body of her now deceased boyfriend. Cam grabbed her and pulled her back into the crowd. He knew what happened to people who didn't conform to what the instructor had to say.

"I'm sure you all know how this works," Said Parsons as glanced around the room.

Mina had turned her back to Parsons and was on the ground crying in the corner. Parsons chose to ignore her.

"You will each take one of these packs which is supplied with water, bread, a map, a compass, a flashlight, and a randomly assigned weapon. The weapons this year are a little bit different. There are less guns than usual and more...unique weapons. We can't just have everyone shooting everyone, what's the fun of that?"

"What's the fun in any of this? Fuck the government and fuck y-"

Rosanna was cut off as Parsons fired his gun into the air. "You're lucky two contestants are already dead. I would not hesitate to shoot you otherwise. As I was saying, only a few guns will be issued as weapons this year, so you guys will need to be creative with your kills. There may be a few...prizes scattered about the island. You'll be rewarded for going out and looking for these and not just hiding in one place. So now I will-" Parsons stopped as he glanced at the packs the students would soon be taking.

"Sir, what's the matter?" Asked one the soldiers.

"There are only forty-eight contestants now, "Said Parsons, "And there are fifty bags. You know what? I'll make this interesting. Who wants one of the extra bags?"

Immediately a hand was raised. It belonged to Horatio Washington (Boy #20). "I'll take both of the extras," He said.

"No, you just get one," Replied Parsons, "We're going to give the other bag to a girl. So, what girl wants it?"

Nobody moved a muscle. The room was cloaked in silence for a solid ten seconds. Finally a soft voice said, "I'll take it." It was Rosanna, the girlfriend of the late Gustavo Hickson.

Parsons smiled. "Excellent," He replied. He marked something down on his clipboard and then looked back up at the students. "I always prefer for these orientations to be short and brief. There's no point in boring the audience. They want to see the gameplay, they want to see you little bastards get out there and fight for the honor of holding the title of winner of The Program. Are you excited, students?" No one responded. "Let's get started then. I will select a slip of paper from this bowl. Whoever's class number is on this slip will be the first to leave. We will then alternate boy, girl, boy, girl until all of you are gone." Parsons reached his hand into the bowl and stared out at the students before him. The majority of their faces were filled with fear. A few of the students were crying or had been crying. But he noticed a look of glee on the faces of a few students. There were also a few apathetic stares. Those with apathetic stares scared him the most. They're the unpredictable ones. Parsons pulled the piece of paper out of the bowl. "The first person leaving the school will be Boy #24. That'd be you, Mr. Mulindi.

Charles Mulindi felt all eyes turn on him. His legs felt like they were being weighed down by cement. He couldn't force himself to move. Charles felt like he was going to be sick. He had heard about The Program at a young age (like most kids had) and knew that he would be safe in Kenya. However, his father's job had forced him to move to the United States where he knew he was at risk. Charles never really bothered worrying about it though, the odds of being chosen were not likely.

 _These people aren't my friends. They're going to kill me._ Charles gulped as these thoughts ran through his mind. He slowly made his way to the front and grabbed a pack. He then sprinted out the door and into the unknown.

 **48 Students Remaining**

Boys:

1\. Barrett Seale

2\. Jarrod Fraumeni

3\. Tiger Hembrow

4\. Linden Biscay

5\. Darren Tabor

6\. Ramsey Awad

7\. Dale Eccles

8\. Gustavo Hickson

9\. Jack Paden

10\. Lee Gauron

11\. Caydon Qian

12\. Oliver Haque

13\. Carter Koenig

14\. Perry Singel

15\. Bastian Rakkhit

16\. Milo Gibbon

17\. Jed Moore

18\. Emilio Cammelli

19\. Shadrach Smith

20\. Horatio Washington

21\. Red Tosteson

22\. Cam Perez

23\. Alvin McCalsin

24\. Charles Mulindi

25\. Armando Stepler

Girls

1\. Elysia Harder

2\. Saphira De costa

3\. Brooke Hiney

4\. Shamira Cotton

5\. Ethel Greene

6\. Jeanine Scimone

7\. Rosanna Morani

8\. Lynette Cascella

9\. Nigella Smith

10\. Tula Chancler

11\. Sara Johnson

12\. Tiara Walker

13\. Mina Tsai

14\. Olivia Hume

15\. Arianna Johnson

16\. Griselda Jones

17\. Shayna Sull

18\. Lindsay Soccorso

19\. Itzel Janik

20\. Kalia Dorey

21\. Missy Kressin

22\. Roberta Hernandez

23\. Bernice Hope

24\. Sheila Gualtieri

25\. Kasey Caputo


	3. Hour 0

Charles Mulindi (Boy #24) exited the school building and found himself surrounded by darkness. The dim lights of the school managed to light the area directly in front of him. Charles was lucky he had been the first to leave the school and he knew that. Charles ran over potential strategies in his head. Should he try to wait by the bushes by the school for another student? Should he check his map and head toward a certain landmark? The normally very peaceful guy had no idea what he was going to do. He had no idea how long he had been standing there. Suddenly, he heard footsteps and the doors open behind him.

"Charles?" Came a voice. Charles' eyes opened wide. He had totally forgotten the fact that the rest of his classmates were going to be coming out after him. Charles quickly opened his bag and grabbed the first large object he found in there. He had grabbed a shovel, which was his designated weapon. Charles swung the shovel backwards with a yell.

Sheila Gualtieri (Girl #24) quickly stepped backwards as the shovel flew right in front of her face. "Charles, what the heck?" She asked.

Charles immediately ran away from the school. He ran straight forward, blindly into the forest. What the hell had he just done? Charles couldn't believe he had just lashed out that way. He hadn't meant to attack Sheila, it had just been a reaction. And now Charles knew he had to run. He was running from his competition, he was running from his classmates, and he was running from his fears.

Charles stopped running when he felt that he could run no more. In the distance, near the Southern tip of the island, Charles could see a large lighthouse. He began walking to it.

* * *

Perry Singel (Boy #14) watched as Charles nervously made his way out of the classroom. Perry had to constantly shake off the idea that this was just a dream. He knew now that it wasn't. Perry watched as classmate after classmate left the room, most with complete fear on their faces. What was Perry supposed to do? The tall, skinny, lanky boy didn't stand a chance against some of these huge muscular guys. Six people had left since Charles and Saphira De costa (Girl #2) was called to the front. She smiled as her name was called. Perry felt very afraid as he saw the tall, muscular girl make her way to the front of the room and grab a packet. She smiled and winked at the rest of her classmates before she calmly left the building.

"I'd watch out for that one," Said Parsons as he nodded toward Saphira.

Perry wanted nothing more than to be back at home where he could just chill or listen to music. He also imagined being back at the mall with all of his friends. He wanted to go shopping, hang out, do all the normal things a teenager was supposed to do. But because of this sick Program, Perry would most likely never see any of his friends or family again. He had such big plans for after graduation. Perry wanted to go to a fashion school and become a professional clothing designer. The only passion Perry had was fashion. He knew that he wanted to complete his dream, but he couldn't bring himself to actually murder other people.

 _Shit, I've gotta get out of here._ Thought Perry. _But how? Actually kill people? No way. Escape? Again, there's no way. Maybe I could just hide out, wait for the others to kill each other off. Killing one or two people wouldn't be that bad, right? And maybe the assholes would be the only ones left. I won't have a problem killing them at all. Who is even here?_ Perry began to scan the room to start seeing who he wouldn't mind killing. Darren Tabor (Boy #5) was there? Perry would have no problem killing that asshole. Missy Kressin (Girl #21) was also there. Fuck that bitch, Perry would absolutely not mind getting that bitch out of this world. _Who else is here?_

"Boy number four, Linden Biscay."

Perry's thoughts immediately stopped. Linden was here? Perry watched as Linden Biscay (Boy #4) walked to the front of the room. He shot Parsons an angry look before he headed out of the room.

Perry's heart was fluttering. His ex-boyfriend was there! Perry was surprised he hadn't noticed him before. Being hit with the news of having to kill your friends sure had distracted him. Now, Perry didn't care at all about the game. He only had one thing on his mind. Perry had to get Linden back. Perry was still madly in love. He now could not wait for his name to be called. Perry waited impatiently as the other classmates left the room.

"Boy number fourteen, Perry Singel."

Perry sprung up from his seat and grabbed a pack. He quickly left the room and exited the school building.

"He seemed quite eager," Said Parsons as he looked at the rest of the students left in the room.

* * *

Red Tosteson (Boy #21) held hands with his girlfriend Bernice Hope (Girl #23). By good luck, Charles had been the first student to leave, allowing the two young lovers to remain in the school for a long time. Bernice looked deeply into the eyes of her boyfriend Red. She was crying and had her head nestled in the shoulder of Red. "It's going to be okay, baby," Red whispered from time to time.

"Boy #19 Shadrach Smith."

Shadrach got up quickly and marched to the front. He grabbed a pack and yelled, "Have fun dying, motherfuckers!" Shadrach giggled maniacally as he left the room.

"Oh shit...oh shit...oh shit…" Bernice began to hyperventilate. Red pulled her closer to him and held her close.

"It'll be okay babe. I'll protect you with my life." Red responded as he kissed the top of her head.

The two lovers remained close as Itzel Janik's (Girl #19) name was called. Parsons suddenly remembered the fate that had befallen the girl earlier and quickly moved on.

"Boy number 20, Horatio Washington."

Horatio slowly got up and walked to the front of the classroom. He grabbed two packs. He then turned to face his fellow classmates. He scanned the entire room until he found what he was looking for. There was a camera in the corner of the room that had been filming and livestreaming The Program since the students had all woken up. "Hi mom," He said as he waved to the camera and then left the room with a smile on his face.

"Oh God Red, I'm so scared," Said Bernice.

"It'll be okay. I'll wait for you outside the school. I won't let anything happen to you," Whispered Red as he used his free hand to stroke his girlfriend's hair.

Bernice had been dependent on others for as long as she could remember. From a young age, she had been abused by her father and the issue had always been overlooked. Bernice was in a better situation now, living with her mother and stepfather was much better for her. Bernice knew that going into The Program she would have to be strong. That's why she was so glad to have her boyfriend with her.

"Boy number twenty-one Red Tosteson."

The ginger boy leapt to his feet and wrapped his girlfriend in a tight hug. "I'll be outside," He whispered again and kissed Bernice on the lips. Red grabbed a pack and ran outside. He headed down the hallway and briskly approached the doors. He knew he had to protect Bernice. His girlfriend was going to be the last person out of the school, but he didn't care. Red would gladly give up his life for Bernice. Red opened the doors to the outside and was immediately forced into action.

Horatio Washington and Kalia Dorey (Girl #20) were already fighting. As soon as Kalia had left the school she had been ambushed by Horatio. He had attacked her with his pitiful excuse for a weapon, a pencil. Horatio had stabbed Kalia in the neck with the pencil and then tackled her to the ground. Horatio had grabbed at her pack, but Kalia managed to snag it out of his reach. Kalia screamed and opened her pack to find her own "weapon". It was a jar of peanut butter. Horatio had punched Kalia and climbed on top of her and was punching her repeatedly. Horatio had tried to stab Kalia again but she had fought with all her might to get the large boy off of her.

Red knew what he had to do. Red charged forward and slammed into Horatio. Kalia quickly got up and grabbed her pack. She was crying. Kalia ran to the left as quickly as she could, leaving Red to now face off against Horatio.

Horatio immediately fled to the bushes by the school. Red was shocked. Had he really been able to intimidate Horatio like that. Had this 5'9 ginger with thick glasses really been able to scare off the massive 6'2 heavyweight Horatio? Suddenly Red realized what was happening.

Horatio had left his extra pack by the bushes. Horatio quickly rummaged inside of it and grabbed the weapon from the pack that should have been Gustavo's. The weapon in that pack was a pair of nunchaku. Horatio quickly ran back at Red and swung the nunchaku. Red jumped out of the way.

"Come on, stop! You don't have to do this," Said Red.

"Do you not understand the rules?" Asked Horatio calmly. He swung the nunchaku again, this time hitting Red in the side of his face.

"Stop please!" Shouted Red.

Horatio smiled and swung again with the nunchaku. Red thought about running as fast as he could, but he knew he'd be no match for Horatio. He also knew he had to wait for Bernice. Red quickly dug inside his pack and pulled out his weapon. It was a Desert Eagle! Parsons had said that not many guns would be issued out this game, so Red knew he was lucky. He just needed to load the gun.

Horatio swung again with the nunchaku but Red was able to dodge once again. Red ran forward and smashed the butt of the Desert Eagle into Horatio's face, shattering his nose. Horatio cried out in shock and anger, but quickly regained his composure. Before Red had the chance to retreat, Horatio landed a hard hit onto his neck. Red cried out in pain.

The doors of the school opened and Missy Kressin (Girl #21) walked out. "RUN!" Shouted Red.

Before Missy even knew what was happening, a pair of nunchaku flew toward her face. Missy screamed and immediately ran to her right. Horatio didn't bother purusing her. He knew who his target was. Horatio needed to kill this motherfucker and take his gun.

Despite the pain he was in, Red reached for the ammo inside of his pack. Horatio rushed forward but Red extended his leg and kicked Horatio in the shin, causing him to stumble. Horatio swung the nunchaku and heard a loud cracking sound as the top of Red's head was hit. Red yelled in pain the loudest he had yelled thus far. He immediately began to grow drowsy. Horatio picked up Red's body and threw him against the doors of the school. Red lay prone and incapacitated on the ground. Horatio calmly walked over to Red and grabbed his gun. He then headed over to Red's pack to get some ammo. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. The bullet barely missed Horatio. He glanced over and saw that Missy had returned. She was holding a gun of her own and was now aiming at Horatio.

"Get the fuck out of here!" Shouted Missy. Horatio grabbed Red's pack and began sprinting away from the school. He knew that he couldn't risk being taken out this early. Missy glanced over at Red and saw him moan and squirm around. As much as she wanted to help him, she knew she couldn't. Missy couldn't afford to drag along dead weight. She knew she had already done her part. Missy darted back the way she had come.

* * *

"Red? RED! Wake up!"

Red opened up his groggy eyes. The first thing he felt was pain. Pure and agonizing pain in his head. Where the hell was he? It all came flooding back at once. The Program, leaving the school, being attacked by Horatio. But what had happened after that? Red noticed that the person starting down at him was none other than his girlfriend Bernice. Red realized that the two students who had left after Missy had simply ignored his body and moved on. Now, his girlfriend was crying over him.

"Babe, I'm okay," Red smiled weakly knowing that he was not telling the truth.

"You look awful," Said Bernice as she surveyed her boyfriend, "Where's your pack?"

Red looked around and noticed it was gone. He had nothing. "Horatio must have taken it when he attacked me," Said Red angrily.

"Tell me everything that happened later," Said Bernice, "I was the last student out and the school is going to become a danger zone soon." Bernice lifted Red into her arms. The weak girl found it hard to do but she managed. Bernice wrapped her arms around Red's waist and put his arm around her shoulder. The two lovers began to slowly make their way to shelter.

The school had now become a Danger Zone without claiming the lives of any that were lingering around. The game was now on.

 **48 Students Remaining**


	4. Hour 1

Hour 1

Horatio Washington (Boy #20) inspected his newly obtained gun. He had made sure that the gun was loaded and ready to shoot on command. The boy had his nunchaku close by his side ready to attack with those too. Horatio smiled to himself, thinking about his advantage in this game. Not only was he tall and fairly muscular, but he now was in possession of three weapons. While all of his fellow classmates only had their assigned weapon (besides the chick who got the extra pack), he had three weapons including a gun (which were apparently rare on this season of The Program). While his pencil could barely be considered a weapon, he decided not to throw it away.

Horatio stared at the gun and began to fantasize about what it would be like to actually kill someone. It would feel oh so good. Horatio noticed his reflection in the gun and smiled.

He was a fairly good looking guy with a tall and athletic build. Not only was Horatio a strong guy, he was also very intelligent. Tan, wavy brown hair, strong jaw, and a fit body. Horatio knew that he had it all. Many people would be expecting a victory from him and he knew it.

Horatio couldn't let his family down. Each year he and his entire extended family would gather at his house and watch The Program. His parents and many of his aunt and uncles would place bets on who they thought the winner would be. It was a tradition in his household to avidly watch The Program. And now he was there.

Horatio knew his family was watching him and that they would expect nothing but the best from him. He had been a student of The Program, memorizing statistics and gameplay from each season. But would any of this help him now? Horatio didn't think he would ever actually participate in The Program, but he had been graced with the honor. Horatio couldn't wait to see how all of his online friends in The Program forums online would react to the news of him winning The Program. He would now no longer be one of the ordinary fans, he would be a superstar.

Horatio had the best mix of brains and brawns. His knowledge of The Program and his strong physique would mean that he could easily win. No one would even come close to beating him. Horatio kicked himself for letting his first victims escape, but at least he had managed to steal a gun off of Red (Boy #21). He would be aggressive when he needed to be, but why stick his neck out like that again? Horatio wanted a few of his fellow classmates to take out each other and then he could just swoop him and claim a few kills near the end.

Horatio was no longer just the quiet weird kid in school. He was no longer just some nerd who posted on The Program forums online. He was no longer all talk and no action. Horatio was the newest winner of The Program. His name would be in lights and everyone would remember him as the greatest winner in the United States Program. No, the greatest winner in the history of The Program. He wasn't going to just be another statistic.

Horatio hopped off of the log he had been sitting on when he heard a noise. There was a rustle and then rapid footsteps a few yards away. Horatio made his way over to the bushes and pushed them aside. He observed the area and didn't see a trace of anybody. Horatio decided to let it go for now. He loaded his three rations of food and water into one pack and began to think of his game plan.

He studied his map and noticed a residential area in the lower right of the map. He knew that many of the students in The Program usually headed there for shelter. Horatio also knew that the residential areas almost always became danger zones fairly early on in the game. This would prevent the students from just hiding out the entire team. Horatio decided to head there. He could shoot all of the pussies that were hiding out and then take cover there until it became a danger zone. His plan was perfect. Horatio picked up his pack and glanced around, aiming the gun in the distance. Horatio smiled to himself. What should he wear during his postgame interview? Horatio's mind was already wondering to events after The Program. He would wipe out all the weaklings and secure his rightful spot as the winner of the 2016 United States Program.

* * *

 _They're all gonna kill me!_

These words echoed through the mind of Lindsay Soccorso (Girl #18). As she ran through the forest she kept replaying the scene in the classroom over and over again. Gustavo was dead and he had been killed right in front of everyone. Lindsay had never been very close to Gustavo. Sure they had smoked weed together a few times with a large group, but the two had never really connected one-on-one. But now that he was dead, Lindsay couldn't stop the tears from falling down her face.

Lindsay felt as though she had been running forever. She had been one of the last ones to leave the school, but she had been lucky enough to leave before Horatio Washington (Boy #20) had attacked people outside of the school. Lindsay had run blindly into the forest and was lost. She had stopped to get her bearings and had decided to head to the urban area to hide.

It seemed as though there was a small community of houses in the lower right portion of the island where almost all of the island's former inhabitants had lived. There was a sort of "downtown" area on the Northern end of the island, but other than that it appeared to be pretty desolate. Lindsay knew she needed to find a place where she could just rest and calm her nerves.

Lindsay would never play the game. She had received a cutlass as a weapon (not too shabby) but she wasn't going to use it unless she had to. _I have to see my little girl again._

Lindsay couldn't let her one year old daughter grow up without her mother. One mistake had led to another and Lindsay had gotten pregnant. The baby's father was quick to deny any involvement with Lindsay and moved far away, leaving Lindsay to fend for herself. Luckily, Lindsay's mom had been very supportive. But now Lindsay may never see her darling little angel ever again.

Lindsay emerged from the forest and found a collection of small houses. She nervously glanced around and held her cutlass trying to be as intimidating as possible. The short redhead knew that she wouldn't scare a majority of her much larger classmates, but she tried her best. Lindsay ran down one of the streets and walked up to the front door of one of the houses. It was locked.

Lindsay felt a pair of eyes on her and she quickly turned around. No one was there. Lindsay pinned herself to the wall of the house and made her way down the side. She hopped the fence of the house next door and saw a grill and a doghouse. These people were normal, they were just like her and the others, yet they had been forced to entirely relocate. Lindsay sighed as she approached the backdoor of the house.

She tried the knob to find that it was locked. Lindsay looked around to see if there was some sort of a key. Lindsay checked under the rug and found nothing. She noticed a plant in the corner of the yard. Lindsay walked over to the plant and felt around. There was a key inside. Lindsay thanked her lucky stars that she had been so lucky and quickly approached the door. Lindsay put the key in the lock and entered the house.

The lights were all off and Lindsay felt around for some sort of switch. She found it and clicked it on. The light blinded her immediately. Once her eyes adjusted she quickly realized she had made a mistake. Lindsay quickly turned the lights back off and let her eyes adjust back to the dark. She noted that she was in the kitchen of the house. The dining room was to the left and the living room was straight ahead. The house was relatively small. There were two bedrooms off to the side. Lindsay entered the first and found a large bed. She checked the closets and found empty hangers. The previous owners had packed up all of their things in a hurry. She rummaged through the drawers and found a letter. It was from the government. Lindsay read over the letter and realized it was the notice that the family would have to vacate their home for the duration of The Program. There was a bathroom to the side and Lindsay entered it. She noticed that all of the hygienic supplies were gone. The letter had strictly stated that all items must be removed, especially those that the students could use as weapons. The government really just wanted the students to fight with their supplied weapons.

The next bedroom hit home to Lindsay. She entered and realized it was a child's bedroom. There was a small bed and flowers painted on the walls. Other than the bed and a chest, the room was empty. Lindsay decided to look around and checked under the bed. She reached her hand down and yelled as she felt something. Lindsay recoiled her hand and quickly stood up.

"W...who's there?" She asked nervously. She realized that she had left her cutlass in the kitchen. There was no response.

"I'm not playing," Said Lindsay trying to keep her calm. Again, there was no response. Lindsay gulped and decided to check again. Lindsay pulled her flashlight out of her pack and flashed the light around the room. She bent back down and scanned underneath the bed. She realized she had not found another contestant, she had just found a doll. Lindsay had felt the doll's hair before and had assumed it was a real person's hair. She grabbed the doll and pulled it out. She examined it closely. This doll was one that Lindsay had had as a child and had now given to her own child. Lindsay immediately fell onto the bed and began to weep uncontrollably. _What the hell am I supposed to do?_

* * *

High school is a time for many things, one of the most important being love. Relationships were everywhere, some more serious than others. Everyone wants to be accepted and feel loved. No one knew that feeling more than Nigella Smith (Girl #9). Nigella was always desperate for attention, especially male attention. She would go through boyfriend after boyfriend. Despite this, people didn't see her as a whore. Nigella didn't date various men for sex, she dated for attention. Any opportunity that she would get for a date she would take. If they only wanted sex from her she would provide them with that, but she didn't outright sleep with everyone. Once one of Nigella's boyfriends were done using her or just found her annoying, they'd dump her and she would move on. Nigella had dated a total of fifteen guys (roughly, she wasn't sure whether "date" was the right word for some of the guys) throughout high school. Nigella's longest relationship was two months, and that was the relationship she was in now.

Nigella glanced up at the concerned face of her boyfriend Armando Stepler (Boy #25). Armando had exited the school third and had waited in the bushes until his girlfriend had emerged from the school. The two had embraced and Armando quickly led her to the place he thought would be the safest; the urban area up North. Armando knew they wouldn't be safe running around wildly, but he also knew lots of people would be drawn to the housing in the lower part of the island. Armando only wanted what was best for the love of his life.

Their relationship was nothing special. There were countless couples at their high school, from those who were serious, a couple who were actually engaged, and a few just looking for a fun time. Nigella and Armando had always had the same circle of friends and had just started dating out of principle. Armando found Nigella attractive, but not absolutely stunning. She was good enough though. Armando had asked her out and she had said yes, and so it was official.

Now the two lovers sat on the floor of a gas station facing each other. They had locked themselves in a stockroom in the back of the store.

"Are you sure about this?" Asked Nigella as she glanced nervously at the rope she had been assigned.

"Positive," Replied Armando. His supplied weapon had been a wrench which he had placed on the counter. There would be no need for it now.

"I just think maybe we should wait," Said Nigella as a worried look came across her face.

"We can't back out of this now," Said Armando as he grabbed the stool he had eventually found in the back and placed it beneath the ceiling fan.

"We can just hide out and spend some quality time together," Suggested Nigella.

"I've told you everything I need to on the way here," Said Armando as he took a step onto the stool. "We agreed to this."

"I just don't know," Said Nigella.

"Don't you think this is romantic, babe? We're like Romeo and Juliet," Said Armando.

"This isn't right," Said Nigella.

"It is though," Said Armando as he stepped down from the stool and took Nigella's hands. "There's no way we're both escaping. Rules dictate only one person can get out. Even if by some miracle we both make it to the end, we'll eventually have to kill. I can't bear to see that happen to us. This way we can both go out together."

Armando grabbed Nigella around the waist and pulled her close. He kissed her passionately for a solid twenty seconds. Nigella smiled as he continued to hold her close. Armando made his way back to the stool and hung the rope from the ceiling fan.

"I love you, Nigella," Said Armando as he smiled brightly. Nigella didn't reply. She just smiled. "I'll see you in Heaven." Armando put his head in the noose and quickly kicked the stool out from under him. Nigella quickly looked away and ran out of the room. She collapsed onto the floor and started dry heaving. The crack she had heard and the squirming were greatly disturbing her. Nigella walked out onto the gas station floor and looked around at all the drinks and snacks. She needed a distraction.

Nigella checked back into the room a few minutes later. Armando was swinging there, completely lifeless. His plan had been for Nigella to hang herself and then he could take her down and remove himself from the world in the same way. Nigella hadn't approved of the plan and so Armando had told her that he would go first. She assured him that she would be able to remove his body from the noose. But she knew she couldn't.

Nigella stared at the lifeless body of her boyfriend. She couldn't do it. She couldn't move his body. She couldn't hang herself. She couldn't just give her life up like that. She couldn't go through with this. She couldn't keep her promise.

"I'm sorry."

Nigella shut the door to the stockroom and walked back out into the gas station. She slumped behind the check-out counter and just sat there unaware of what to do. She was now utterly alone. She hated being alone.

 **47 Students Remaining**


	5. Hour 2

Hour 2

"Red, wake up, come on," Said Bernice Hope (Girl #23) as she slapped her boyfriend's face. Red Tosteson (Boy #21) was instantly jarred awake. After his attack back at the school by Horatio Washington (Boy #20), Red had been slipping in and out of consciousness. Bernice had helped her boyfriend move along, but his added weight had soon tired her out. The couple were now sitting underneath a tree in the middle of the open forest.

"Bernice, please just leave me," Said Red, "I'm just dead weight now. I want you to live.

"You're fucking crazy if you think I'm going to abandon you," Said Bernice as she crossed her arms.

"I don't have any supplies, I don't want you to waste your food and water on me."

"We can ration it," Said Bernice, "And I'll protect us with my weapon."

"What is your weapon?" Asked Red.

Bernice realized that after all this time she hadn't even bothered to check and see what her weapon was. She had been so focused on caring for Red and trying to make sure he was safe. Bernice dug into her pack and moved around the water and food rations. She found a picture frame in there. She grabbed it and pulled it out of her bag. She let out a shriek as she dropped the frame onto the ground.

"What's the matter?" Asked Red worriedly.

Bernice quickly covered her mouth. She realized that she didn't want to attract people to their location. "L...look at the picture."

Red grasped the picture frame and looked at the picture inside. He cringed slightly as he saw the horrible sight.

The picture in the frame was a dead body. The body was severely damaged and bloody. The man's intestines were spewing out of his stomach and his throat had a clean cut across it. There were bruises along his body along with several other scars.

"That's just fucked up," Said Red as he put the frame back into Bernice's pack.

"We have nothing to protect ourselves with," Said Bernice.

"We need to find something," Said Red.

"I don't want to kill anyone," Said Bernice.

"And we don't have to, but we need to be able to defend ourselves," Said Red.

"I can't...I can't attack anyone," Said Bernice.

"I'll try to protect you," Said Red, "I'm just so weak right now."

Bernice was about to respond by saying that she needed his protection. She decided not to though. This last comment had got her thinking. Throughout their relationship, and even before then, Red had always been protective and supportive of Bernice. Now, Red was injured and had no supplies. He was practically helpless. And here she was, demanding that he protect her and being a weakling, as always.

"No Red. This time I'll protect you."

* * *

Jack Paden (Boy #9) sat on a log in the middle of the forest staring blankly into space. For lack of a better word, the boy was just stupid, plain and simple. Jack had never had an easy time with school, and he had never really cared either. Jack just wanted to enjoy his life while he could. There was no need to let school get in his way. Jack wanted nothing more than to just party all the time.

 _I wanna rock n' roll all night...and party every day._

Jack played that song over and over in his mind and he sat idly and looked at his assigned "weapon", a bottle of dish soap. What good was that?

He sighed as he thought back to the classroom. His best friend Gustavo Hickson (Boy #8) had been shot right in front of him. They would never get to party again. Jack knew all too well that this was real, and hadn't even tried to convince himself otherwise. Gustavo was dead and that was that. At least some of his other friends were still out there. Carter Koenig (Boy #13), Lee Gauron (Boy #10), and Milo Gibbon (Boy #16). Jack considered it lucky that his girlfriend had not been chosen for The Program, and he knew he had to go back and see her.

Jack had no future, that he was sure of. He had already been held back once (during 3rd grade) and was on the verge of not graduating. He had somehow pulled through and would be graduating at the very bottom of the class ranking. He didn't care though, he was still going to be graduating.

Jack's mind stopped thinking about all of this and he began to kick himself. His friends had all left the school after him, why the hell hadn't he waited for them? Jack was furious at his own stupidity, something that had crippled him his entire life. Jack got up off the log and decided he would look for his friends.

That's when he saw a figure in the distance. Jack couldn't tell who it was, but it was definitely a male. A big one at that. Jack squinted his eyes. He thought about calling out, but quickly decided against it. Suddenly, the figure turned and looked at Jack. The two stood there staring at each other, both boys unflinching. Jack and the figure were about fifty feet apart, so Jack figured he would just stand still and see what happened.

The figure began sprinting toward Jack. The boy was fast and quickly was right in front of Jack. Jack instantly recognized the boy. It was Oliver Haque (Boy #12).

Before Jack could muster a scream, Oliver had whipped out a chain and tackled Jack to the ground. Oliver put his hand over Jack's mouth and quickly flipped him onto his stomach. Jack squirmed and yelled, but it was no use. Oliver was a 6'9 giant mass of a person. Oliver wrapped the chain around Jack's neck and began pulling as tightly as he could with both hands. Jack could only muster to make weak choking noises as he tried to claw and scream for his life. Oliver put his foot onto Jack's back and began to pull even tighter. Jack's face began to slightly change color as the life was being drained from his body. And just like that, it was all over.

Oliver let go of the chain and Jack's body slumped forward. Oliver smiled to himself.

"Sorry retard, just part of the game," Said Oliver. The star basketball player lifted his chain from around Jack's neck and put it back in his pack.

Oliver slicked his dark hair back and smiled to himself. It was almost too easy. He had just charged Jack and the boy had barely resisted. Oliver was sure to win. Everything was a competition. Oliver looked at The Program the exact same way he would look at a basketball game. It was just a game and Oliver wanted to win. Sure killing was a bit extreme, but at the end of the day his fellow classmates didn't really matter. Jack was a fucking retard, he had barely even been able to graduate. Oliver had done the world a favor by eliminating him.

Oliver approached Jack's pack and frowned at his weapon. That fucker couldn't even provide him with something decent. Oliver loaded Jack's food and water into his own pack and walked off in search of more victims. There was no way he was going to sit around and wait, that was the pussy way out. He was going to set an all time record and kill the most people. The previous record holder had 7 kills, that would be easy to surpass.

Oliver darted back the way he had come, unaware that he had just missed another potential victim.

* * *

Elysia Harder (Girl #1) was shocked at what she had just seen. She had just witnessed an actual murder! Jack had done nothing wrong, and Oliver had just killed him.

Elysia had left the school full of panic. She was at a disadvantage with crutches. There was no way that she could outrun any of her classmates now. She had taken off into the forest and followed a path. Elysia knew she had to hide and quickly. The residential area was too far away, so Elysia had simply climbed into a tree. There was a low hanging branch which she had managed to grab with one arm and pull herself up. She had bent back down and grabbed her crutches. Elysia had used her arms and her one good leg to pull herself as high as she could get, but that wasn't very high.

Elysia had waited there ever since. She had seen Jack approach her, but he had stopped a little bit away. Elysia had thought about calling out to him, but she didn't because she didn't know him very well. Elysia could feel the sweat dripping from her dyed blue hair but she didn't let it bother her.

She had started to doze off when she heard rapid footsteps and had looked below to see Oliver rush forward and choke Jack with his chain. It had taken all of her restraint not to scream in absolute horror. Oliver had passed by the tree she was in two times and he hadn't managed to see her.

She had always known about The Program, but she couldn't ever picture herself there. The skater girl had never done anything bad in her life, why did she deserve this? Elysia never thought any of her classmates were capable of killing, but clearly she was wrong.

Elysia continued to sit on the branch she had been for the duration of The Program. She was going to sit there and wait for as long as it took.

 **46 Students Remaining**


	6. Hour 3

Hour 3

 _The residential area. No, the place with all the buildings. No, he wouldn't hide, he's not a coward. He'll be roaming around in the forest. He's probably looking for me._

Perry Singel (Boy #14) had paced around the forest in the same manner for the duration of the game thus far. He knew he needed to find Linden Biscay (Boy #4). The two had not ended on the best terms, but Perry knew that once he found Linden he could rekindle what they had. The two were meant to be, and Perry knew that. Now he just needed to convince Linden of the same thing.

Linden had always been much more reserved and even pretty shy. Perry had always had a crush on him, and was even quite obsessed. That's why Perry had found their relationships so special. From the Netflix and chill, to the people watching, and even just hanging around the mall, Perry missed it all.

After a good year of the relationship, Linden had flipped out on Perry seemingly out of nowhere. Linden had told Perry never to talk to him again, and Perry had begged for his forgiveness. Linden was out of Perry's life and he thought he would never see him again. This Program was more of a blessing than a curse.

The leaves crunched under Perry's feet as he decided what he would do. He would start from the top of the island and make his way across. He would cover the entire island until he discovered his former flame.

In his mind, Perry could see himself and Linden embracing each other tightly. The two would kiss and hold each other, and protect each other from The Program. They could spend their dying moments together. They wouldn't be in this dirty, disgusting forest, but they could find a nice romantic house to stay in. It would be fantastic!

* * *

The mall was basically the only place to go to in that shitty little small town. Perry and his friends were frequently there. They shopped, ate, and just generally spent all of their time at the mall. He and his friends would always sit on the same chairs in the lounging area of the mall and gossip, watch people, eat, and bond together. All of Perry's greatest memories were at the mall.

"Yeah, that shirt was really cute, but it was way too expensive," Said Mina Tsai (Girl #13) as she took a sip from her drink. The girl sat with her legs crossed on her chair and a drink on her lap. The group of friends had just been looking for new clothes, and Mina had passed up on the opportunity to buy a nice shirt.

"It was your color though," Replied Shayna Sull (Girl #17). She sat on a chair next to Mina. On Mina's other side was Itzel Janik (Girl #19). Perry wasn't really friends with Itzel, but Mina had brought her along and he didn't really mind. Shayna and Mina were two of his best friends, and he had many others as well. The four of them were all from their friend group who was able to meet up at the mall that day.

"I'm not made of money though," Said Mina, "McDonald's only pays me so much."

"I can't fucking believe your parents don't buy you clothes," Said Perry.

"Well, they do, but not anything like this. They just get me what I need," Replied Mina as she took another sip from her drink.

Perry never understood how Mina could be so positive all the time. Her parents didn't even buy her new clothes! He considered himself to be very spoiled and entitled, and he didn't care. Perry deserved to be pampered. People always catered to him and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Oh shit, it looks like someone's in a bit of an argument there," Said Itzel, contributing to the conversation for the first time.

The four looked over to see Linden Biscay and Sara Johnson (Girl #11) talking to each other. Their faces both had looks of anger and sadness, and Sara was moving her hands frantically.

"Why the fuck did you cheat on me, dumb slut!" Shouted Linden angrily, but keeping his voice low enough so that no one would be alerted of their drama.

"I didn't, we were taking a break," Said Sara, "Darren is just a good guy."

"No, he's an asshole. And just because we were on a break doesn't give you an excuse!" Shouted Linden.

"Babe, I'm sorry, I love you, "Said Sara as she tried to grab Linden's hand.

The boy jerked his hand away and stared down at Sara with a look that could kill. "I'm done with your shit, Sara," He said.

"You know what? Fine! I don't even care!" Shouted Sara as her voice got louder. People were beginning to notice their conversation and began to stare.

"Then get lost, bitch!" Shouted Linden.

"Darren is way better at sex than you! Plus, he's got money. He'll be better than you could ever be, you dumb cocksucker!" Shouted Sara as she angrily stormed off. Linden stared at the small crowd that had gathered. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT?"

Linden stomped away in the other direction. The people who had been watching began to disperse as well.

"That shit was crazy," Said Shayna, "Sara is such a dumb bitch."

"She isn't all that bad," Said Mina, "Sure she's loaded and not afraid to gloat about it. She may be a bit bitchy, but I think deep down she's just hurting. We should give everyone a chanc-Perry, what are you looking at?"

Perry took his eyes off of Linden and glanced at his friend. "Sorry, I was distracted. Linden has such a nice ass."

Shayna snickered and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you totally have a chance with him," She said sarcastically.

"I might," Said Perry.

"Yeah, you'll have a chance with that straight guy," Said Shayna.

"He might be bi, you never know. And maybe after dealing with one too many bitches, he'll want to try some other things out."

"Whatever you say," Said Shayna.

"I think you should go for it," Said Mina, "You'll never know unless you try. Lots of people are open minded about their sexuality today."

From that day on, Perry had set his sights on Linden. Though some would describe his actions as creepy, Perry saw nothing wrong with what he did. Following Linden home from school let Perry know where he lived. Perry constantly following him would give him insight into what Linden was interested in. Perry could use this information to get Linden to fall for him. His advances had worked and the two had started dating.

Perry had already started making his way to the Northern part of the island. His legs were slightly tired, but he didn't care. Perry didn't mind being out in the open. He was hoping this way that Linden would see him. Perry cut his leg on a thorn that he hadn't noticed. He wouldn't let a little inconvenience like that bother him. Perry combed his blond hair with his hand to make sure it was nice and neat. He needed to look his best. Perry continued to march through the forest, determined to find his ex. He would find Linden even if it killed him.

* * *

"I still can't believe he didn't wait for us," Said Milo Gibbon (Boy #16). He was referring to Jack Paden (Boy #9), a member of his "gang" who had left the school without waiting for anyone.

"Quit bitching and get the fuck over it," Said Lee Gauron (Boy #10) sternly. Milo had been complaining about how Jack should've waited for them so they could all be together.

"Quit the bickering," Said Carter Koenig (Boy #13), the pacifist of the group. "I'm tired of hearing both of you right now."

"I wonder if he actually got a decent fucking weapon," Said Milo as he glanced in disgust at the bandana that he was issued as a weapon.

"None of us got anything good," Said Lee as he waved one of his darts around, "I doubt there's even any poison on these. Just regular fucking darts."

"And how the hell is Carter's yo-yo supposed to help us?" Asked Milo.

"Still better than your piece of shit weapon," Sneered Lee.

"Hey asshole, it's not like I asked for this weapon."

"Fuck off, why do you always have to make everything about you?"

"Excuse you? Fuck you…"

Carter tuned out his fellow gang members as they began to argue yet again. He stood there wondering why he was even a part of their group in the first place. Carter's fellow hoodlums were always getting themselves into trouble, and it was always up to Carter to get them out of it. He never really considered himself a bad person, but he always seemed to hang out with bad people. Carter's friends would always go out to party, drink, or get high, and he would always decline. Yet for some reason they continued to hang out with him. They were really all Carter had. Despite all of this, he wouldn't trade his friends for the world.

"Shut up, do you want people to find us?" Asked Carter.

Lee and Milo immediately stopped arguing and turned toward Carter. They were both about to start yelling at him, when the three of them heard the soft sound of footsteps. Though the steps were quiet, they were still audible. Milo's grip tensed on his bandana. Carter grabbed his yo-yo and held it like a sword. Lee readied a dart to throw.

Mina Tsai (Girl #13) stepped out of a clearing of bushes. She was staring directly at the ground, completely unaware of her surroundings. Her eyes were wet with tears, but she had no more tears to cry. Mina stopped and suddenly turned in the direction of the three boys. All of their eyes were on her. No one moved.

"Hey, we're not going to hurt you." Carter finally broke the silence.

"Get the fuck out of here!" Shouted Lee as he held his dart up threateningly.

"Lee, no, she's not going to hurt us," Said Carter.

"Show us your weapon, NOW!" Shouted Milo.

Mina shakingly reached her hand into her bag and pulled out a CD. It was _Everyone Should be Killed_ by the band Anal Cunt.

"We all got royally fucked over," Said Milo as he nervously chuckled, "Our weapons aren't exactly useful either."

Lee was still on guard and was eyeing Mina up and down. He was always hesitant to trust people. Lee never knew who would turn out to be a snitch or a traitor, so his instinct was to immediately not trust anyone.

"Lee, put that shit down," Said Carter as he forcefully lowered Lee's arm. He turned to Mina and smiled. Her expression had not changed. She was both scared and sad.

"Bitch, are you just gonna stand there? Get outta here!" Shouted Lee.

"No, she can stay," Said Carter as he shot Lee an evil glare.

"She's just going to slow us down," Said Lee angrily.

"She's scared. Her best friend is dead," Said Carter as the memories of Itzel being hit by a truck came flooding back to him.

"I'm not going to let this bitch come in and slow us down. She's dead weight," Said Lee as he shot Mina an angry glare.

"I'm not going to let her die out there alone," Said Carter.

"Alright Milo, you cast the decision making vote here," Said Lee.

Suddenly all eyes were on Milo. He glanced from one person to the other looking for a clear answer. Carter looked at him with pleading eyes and Lee sent him daggers. Milo glanced over at Mina and saw her shaking in her boots. He could see from her eyes that she had been crying. With a CD as her only weapon, she didn't stand a chance.

"You can come with us," Said Milo. Mina feebly nodded and walked over to the group of three.

"Fuck this," Said Lee as he began to stomp around.

"Stop being a baby," Said Carter.

Milo smiled awkwardly at Mina and she returned the smile. Carter stuck out his hand and patted her on the back trying to comfort her, but it came off as more creepy than anything.

"Alright guys, let's get moving," Said Carter, "People nearby might have heard of us talking."

Lee was already ahead of the group heading off the opposite way Mina had come. Milo and Carter glanced at each other and sighed. "Don't worry about him" Said Carter as he started to follow off after Lee. Milo and Mina followed closely behind.

* * *

"Hey Gladys, Gladys!" Shouted Ramsey Awad (Boy #6).

Griselda Jones (Girl #16) quickly snapped out of her sleep and began to panic. She grabbed her baseball bat and flashlight out of her pack and began to fidget with it.

"Who the fuck is there?" She asked in a shaky voice while trying to sound strong. She began to move her flashlight in an arc, looking for the person who had called out.

"It's me Ramsey," Said Ramsey.

Griselda followed the voice and pointed her flashlight in that direction. She saw the dark skinned Ramsey standing over her about five feet away. If he had wanted to kill her, he easily could have. Griselda began to think about being back at school. When Ramsey had announced his name, she had no idea who he was. But since then, she had remembered him. He was one of the cooler guys in school on the soccer team. He hung around with the popular guys. He and Griselda didn't have a close friendship, but they were both pretty high up on the social ladder, and had many mutual friends like Brooke Hiney (Girl #3) and Darren Tabor (Boy #5).

"Oh hey Ramsey," Said Griselda as she lowered the flashlight, "What is that on your face?"

"It's my weapon," Said Ramsey, "They're night vision goggles."

That must have been how Ramsey had been able to recognize her. It was now 3:45 in the morning, and was still nearly pitch black outside.

"A baseball bat isn't too bad of a weapon, Gladys," Said Ramsey as he sat down next to her.

"My name is Griselda," Replied Griselda as she sighed. She really hated her name.

"Oh, my bad," Said Ramsey. He really didn't care if he messed up her name.

Griselda had quickly left the school, not caring about waiting for any of her friends. She hadn't bothered to look at her map and had just blindly made her way through the forest. Once she had grown tired, she had sat close to a tree trunk and had tried to hide there. She had eventually drifted off and had awoken when Ramsey had called out.

"Do you have any idea what's even going on?" Asked Griselda.

"Well, we all have to kill each other, I know that much," Said Ramsey.

"This is just so fucked up," Said Griselda.

"Obviously. But you know there are going to be people playing. That Horatio guy is fucking creepy, and I know there are others like him," Said Ramsey.

"So what do you think we should do then?" Asked Griselda.

"Let's find some place to hide, I don't want to be out in the open like this," Said Ramsey.

"Well, there's a lighthouse off in the distance," Said Griselda as she motioned toward its location.

"That seems like a good enough place to me," Said Ramsey as he got up off of the ground and grabbed his pack.

"Are we going now?" Asked Griselda.

"Might as well. We want to get there before anyone else does," Said Ramsey as he helped Griselda off of the ground. The two began to make the long trek to the lighthouse. They discussed school and their friends a bit, but were silent for the most part. The whole situation was on their minds.

They approached the lighthouse and Ramsey peeked through the windows. All of the lights on the inside were off, but Ramsey could still see clearly.

"Is anyone in there?" Asked Griselda. She was scanning the area around the lighthouse and found that it was empty.

"I don't think so," Said Ramsey, "We might as well risk it."

Griselda nodded and gulped. "You go first," She said.

Ramsey sighed and decided he would go ahead and risk it. He knew that Griselda would make him go first. Ramsey grasped the door handle and slowly pulled the door open. He turned the lights on and found an empty water bottle and a plate on the table that was in the center of the room. Griselda started to enter but Ramsey whispered, "Don't come in."

Suddenly there were rapid footsteps coming from above. They were coming down the stairs. "Shit, get ready to run!" Shouted Ramsey. Griselda was frozen in place. She had her bat, but that didn't even cross her mind. Griselda's gaze was fixed directly at the bottom of the stairs.

Charles Mulindi (Boy #24) appeared at the bottom of the stairs. He was out of breath and breathing heavily. Charles had a crazy look in his eye, and he glared at the two people who stood before him. He held a shovel in his hand. Charles glanced from Ramsey to Griselda and then back at Ramsey.

"Turn the lights back off!" Shouted Charles angrily.

Griselda quickly stepped toward the light switch, but Ramsey stopped her.

Ramsey glared at Charles. "Hey bro, why don't you just chill, okay?"

"No bro, why don't you go away!" Shouted Charles.

The situation was starting to spiral out of control, and Griselda knew that. She tried to interject, but she didn't know what to say. Griselda stayed by the door and let the two boys continue to argue.

"We're going to stay here whether you like it or not," Said Ramsey as he sat his pack down on the table. Charles' eyes opened wide.

"NO YOU WON'T!" He shouted as he rushed forward. Griselda screamed, but Ramsey didn't have enough time to react. Charles hit Ramsey square in the face with his shovel.

Ramsey stumbled backwards and fell on his ass. He looked up at Charles with a mixture of confusion and anger on his face. Ramsey and Charles had never been very close, but there was a bit of a mutual respect between them. They were two of only three Muslims in the entire school (the third being Ramsey's younger sister). Ramsey was appalled at what Charles had just done.

Griselda rushed forward with her bat and swung at Charles. He quickly moved out of the way and hit Griselda's leg with his shovel. She yelled out in pain and fell to the ground.

Ramsey grabbed the table and used it to lift himself back up. Charles quickly swung his shovel again but Ramsey was able to avoid the attack.

"Dude, what the fuck!?" Shouted Ramsey angrily. He could feel blood start to come from his nose. Ramsey rushd at Charles. Charles swung his shovel and Ramsey dodged. Ramsey kicked Charles in the crotch. Charles bent over and Ramsey jumped onto his back.

"Please don't fight!" Shouted Griselda as she stood back up. The throbbing pain in her leg made it hard for her to stand, but she managed the best she could.

Charles slammed Ramsey into the wall and Ramsey fell off of his back. Charles grabbed his shovel and hit Ramsey over the head with it.

"STOP IT!" Yelled Griselda. She ran forward and hit Charles in the back of his head with her baseball bat. He instantly turned his attention to her and punched her hard in the face. She dropped her bat and it rolled out of her reach. His dreadlocks swung through the air as he turned back to see Ramsey.

"It didn't have to be like this! You should have just FUCKING left!" Screamed Charles as he repeatedly hit Ramsey with the shovel. Over and over again, the shovel made contact with Ramsey's face, slowly flattening it.

Griselda screamed hysterically at the bloody mess that was Ramsey's head. His nose was totally smashed and blood was running down his face. Charles turned the shovel so that the tip was facing Ramsey's head. He shoved the shovel forward and into the top of Ramsey's head.

"No! No! No! NOOOO!" Griselda screamed and cried. She was frozen with fear and could only watch as Charles withdrew his shovel from Ramsey's head. There were bits of brain matter on the shovel. Charles quickly dropped the shovel and screamed.

"What the fuck? No...no, this didn't happen. I...he...he made me! He should have left! He could have left!"

Charles froze. He then glanced over at Griselda who was frozen with fear. She was pinned against the wall with tears coming down her face. Charles yelled and ran toward her. She screamed and ran up the stairs of the lighthouse.

The tears were blinding her eyes and her panic was starting to get the best of her. Despite this, Griselda was quickly making her way up the stairs. She didn't stop when she reached a landing, she just kept on going.

"Get back here you dumb whore!" Screamed Charles. He tripped over one of the stairs and fell over. This gave Griselda a chance to get far ahead. She continued to climb up the stairs until she reached the top landing of the lighthouse. Despite his earlier stumble, Charles was close behind.

The two of them were both hyperventilating. Charles slowly made his way over to Griselda. She backed up to the edge and pressed her back against the railing.

"Leave...me...alone," Charles panted, "Leave...my...LIGHTHOUSE!" He suddenly ran forward and Griselda ran to the side. Griselda knew there was no way she could escape this psycho. She knew what she had to do.

Griselda ran to the edge of the lighthouse and hopped onto the railing. Charles reached out to grab her but it was too late. She screamed all the way to the ground.

 _SPLAT!_

Charles looked over the edge of the lighthouse and saw Griselda's body spread out across the rocks. She had died instantly. Charles still hadn't calmed down. He could feel the adrenaline flowing through his veins. His heart was beating intensely and his breathing was erratic. He let out a primal scream into the night. Charles clamped his hands down onto the railing. This was HIS lighthouse.

 **44 Students Remaining**


	7. Hour 4

Hour 4

 _This game...this fucking game...is only around because of the patriarchy. This is just another way to systematically oppress us all. How the fuck can they do this? There needs to be rallies and protests to this. Fuck the patriarchy. Fuck the system._

Ethel Greene (Girl #5) was, to say the least, not very happy. She had been very vocal about how much she detested The Program. She had made many fliers about it and was constantly posting and ranting about it online. No one had taken this feisty girl seriously, but she knew she was damn serious about all of her opinions. She also knew that she was right.

Ethel continued to think about ways she could escape as she carefully made her way around the tall buildings of the metropolis area. She needed a headquarters where she could plan her escape operations. She didn't want a building that was too small, but she didn't want a building that was too obvious either. Ethel had first entered a gas station and had decided to stay there. It was then that she had discovered Armando's dead body and had left. Ethel had wandered around a bit more before hearing footsteps and running into an alley. She had hidden in a dumpster and had found a switchblade in there (one of the prizes that was scattered throughout the island). It would do much better than the sock she had been assigned as a weapon. Ethel had stayed in the dumpster thinking about how she could escape. Once she could no longer stand the smell, she had left.

Now, Ethel had her eyes on a building off in the distance. It appeared to be a library.

The wind was picking up and Ethel's short hair was slightly blowing in the breeze. It was hard for her to make out certain objects in the darkness, but the light from one of the street lights allowed her to see a shadow in one of the alleys. Ethel decided to walk slowly and carefully as to avoid whoever was there. Suddenly, the shadow rushed forward and straight in Ethel's direction.

The girl quickly fumbled around for her switchblade and flicked the blade out. Ethel ran over to a street light and stood underneath it so that she could see properly. The figure of a scrawny, small kid came into view. His long, greasy hair was a mess and his glasses were slightly crooked. Ethel knew instantly that it was Shadrach Smith (Boy #19).

Shadrach stood with a menacing smile on his face. He held a bloody box cutter in his hand. He could tell that Ethel was drawn to the blood on the end of it.

"Hey dyke," Said Shadrach. He put the box cutter up to his lips and began to lick the blood off of the end of it.

Ethel took a step back. She knew how crazy Shadrach was. Hell, everyone knew how crazy he was. Shadrach had serious issues and was never afraid to let his classmates know. He would mutilate his body and then proudly parade around school showing everyone. He had almost been suspended when one of the hamsters from Mrs. Mason's class had gone missing and then found later with its eyes ripped out and its organs dissected. Everyone suspected Shadrach, but there was not enough evidence. Shadrach would threaten to shoot up the school at least every other week. His threats had become so common that no one bothered to take him seriously anymore. And now, he was face to face with the self-proclaimed "badass feminist bitch" of the class.

The overweight girl knew that she couldn't get away. She was a slow runner and there wasn't anywhere nearby to hide. Ethel was still too choked up to respond.

"I know you're wondering where the blood came from, and no I haven't killed anyone. Yet."

Ethel tried to come up with a response but still found herself at a loss for words.

Shadrach held up his arm. There were many cuts up and down his wrist. Ethel could tell that many of them were fresh.

"Why...why did you do that?" Ethel finally managed to choke out as she tightened the grip on her switchblade.

"I got bored," He replied. Shadrach quickly rushed forward and aimed his box cutter at Ethel. Thinking quickly, Ethel lifted her pack from her shoulder and hit Shadrach in the face with it. His glasses shattered and he fell to the ground. Ethel quickly booked it towards the library.'

"GET BACK HERE YOU DUMB CUNT! DYKE! FUCKING BITCH!" Screamed Shadrach angrily as he tried to fumble around on the ground. He luckily had a pair of spare glasses on him, but he couldn't see well enough to reach into his pack.

Ethel quickly entered the library and shut the door. She looked around for something heavy. Ethel knew she wouldn't be able to block all the doors that led into the library, so she just knew she needed to find a place to hide. Ethel ran upstairs and ran to the back of the library. She hid behind a bookshelf and simply waited.

She was proud of herself. Ethel hadn't even had to use her switchblade to overpower that misogynist. Ethel prayed he wouldn't be able to find her. She would be the savior of this game. She would be the one who would find a way to escape.

For now, Ethel just needed to wait. And she was surrounded by books, which she loved. Ethel knew it could be a lot worse.

* * *

It wasn't so much that the gays and blacks had ruined the nation, that wasn't a huge issue. Those troublemakers were bound to destroy everything, that's just in their nature. No, the problem was that normal Americans were allowing bad things to happen. The agenda of these people were always being pushed on others. Enough was enough! America needed to go back to the way it was. That wasn't just an opinion, that was a fact.

At least that was the opinion of Jed Moore (Boy #17). The boy had his viewpoints and he chose to live his life according to them. Jed had been raised to stand by his opinions and views, but he constantly felt as though he was being pushed down. People like Ethel Greene were constantly trying to silence him. But no more of that.

Jed marched through the forest with his head held high. He had has Spas-12 shotgun in his hand. Jed had been handed one of the most valuable weapons in the game, and he was going to use it to finally make his voice heard. He knew the targets he had in mind and he knew what he had to do. Jed would kill those whom he despised. Ethel was at the top of his list. That dumb dyke would constantly just spew about her cancerous feminazi bullshit propaganda. Perry Singel (Boy #14) was also very high on Jed's hit list. Jed smiled as he imagined himself firing off one shot and blasting Perry's head clean off. He also wanted to kill Darren Tabor (Boy #5) for being an entitled prick, and Tiger Hembrow (Boy #3) for his crazy hippie views. Jed would no longer have to do with those who disagreed with him.

He was lost in his thoughts and didn't realize that he was no longer surrounded by trees in the forest. He had reached the residential area. Jed had been searching for shelter since the beginning of the game, but had had trouble reading his map. Jed just happened to stumble into the area he was looking for.

Jed ran over to the first house he saw and quickly entered the door. It wasn't even locked. Jed scanned the room with his gun at the ready. He wouldn't be taken by surprise.

Jed locked the door. He wouldn't let someone else enter that house as easily as he had. He started to regret choosing the first house that he had seen, but he didn't want to change his position now.

Jed went upstairs and checked around the different rooms. Nothing of any use.

Jed didn't necessarily like the idea of killing people, he more liked the idea of killing off their ideas. He had no problem hunting and killing animals, so he just needed to picture his human victims as animals. Jed knew his parents would be watching him and he couldn't let them down. They were proud supporters of anything that the government of The United States of America did. His family would sometimes sit down and watch The Program together. Jed never really had a strong opinion about it. His dad was a pretty big fan, but the rest of his family mostly just watched casually. Jed would have preferred to watch other shows, but The Program was fine. The idea that real kids with actual lives and families were dying was sickening. But The Program wasn't about that. The Program just showed the kids as nothing more than contestants. Nothing more than mere pawns that people placed bets on and watched for the hell of it. It was just another cheap reality show that everyone loved for some reason.

The microwave in the kitchen read 4:42. Jed was very tired and he decided he should get some sleep. He would have some time to think everything over. Jed would think about how great it would be to never have to hear Ethel or any of the others speak again. He would think about how he would go about finding them. Jed had lots of things to think about.

He left the kitchen and headed up the stairs to one of the bedrooms. Jed saw a picture hanging on the wall which he hadn't noticed before. It was a family portrait. Jed knew it was the family that had lived in the house before this game had started. He turned the picture around so that he didn't have to look at it. This made Jed feel better.

Jed entered one of the bedrooms and put his gun and pack down on the bed. It was then that his stomach rumbled. He thought about reaching into his pack and getting a ration of food, but then he decided against it. Jed had never checked the refrigerator! He quickly ran back down the stairs. They had to have something in there! Anything would do. Some fruits, some vegetables, cheese, maybe even some-

The closet door of the hallway opened and Horatio Washington (Boy #20) ran out and bolted into the kitchen. Before Jed even had a chance to react, Horatio had hit him hard in the head with Red's Desert Eagle.

Jed fell to the floor and yelled in pain. Horatio quickly wrapped his arms around Jed's neck and strangled the life from him. Jed struggled to break free. He grasped Horatio's arms and tried to pry them off of his neck, but he could quickly feel his strength leaving him. Jed looked up into Horatio's face. He had a smile on his face, but not one of craziness. He had a smile that emoted full happiness.

There was no need to waste bullets on this racist asshole. There was no need to waste bullets at all. Mr. Parsons had stated that guns were a rarity in this edition of The Program, so bullets were also precious. Horatio could just use his strength to slowly choke the life out of this stupid, useless asshole.

A swift kick to the crotch was all it took for Jed to break free. It was a last ditch effort and a low blow, but in this case Jed didn't care. Horatio's grip loosened and Jed got up. He ran into the next room screaming. Where the hell was his shotgun?

Horatio ignored the throbbing pain in his crotch and ran at Jed. Jed bolted towards the stairs with Horatio close behind. Horatio reached out and grabbed Jed's leg. The boy fell flat on his face. Horatio twirled Jed around and hurled him back down the stairs. Jed landed painfully onto the ground, his body crumpled.

"Stop! Stop! Fuck you! Leave me alone!" Screamed Jed.

Horatio pulled out his Desert Eagle and fired one shot. Bullseye.

The bullet hit Jed in between his eyes. He was dead instantly. His plans would never come to fruition.

"We're so proud of you, Horatio," He could imagine his mom saying.

"That's my boy," His dad would say as Horatio accepted the honor of winner of The Program.

Horatio smiled to himself as he searched around for Jed's pack. He couldn't find it anywhere. Horatio figured that Jed had left his pack upstairs since he had been running from him that way. Horatio climbed up the stairs and checked one of the rooms. Score! Horatio now had four weapons, and two of them were guns! He had four rations of food and water. There was absolutely no way anyone could defeat him.

He knew he had to leave this house because someone would hear the gunshot and probably come. Horatio left through the back door and hopped the fence into the backyard of the neighboring house.

Horatio knew he would be a favorite to win. He had this game in the bag.

 **43 Students Remaining**


	8. Hour 5

Hour 5

 _Hello darkness my old friend._

Roberta Hernandez (Girl #22) hummed that line over and over again to herself as she sat on the dirty forest floor. Loneliness, depression, and anxiety had always been her friends. Roberta on the outside was someone that everybody loved to see. She was happy and smily. Roberta was the class president, she was the captain of the debate team, and even one of the popular cheerleaders. She wasn't snobby like some of the other cheerleaders were. Roberta genuinely cared for each and every one of her fellow students. As class president she always did her best to get her classmates what they wanted. She was loved by many, and only hated by a few. She even went out of her way to make those very low on the social ladder feel better. The forgotten ones. Roberta cared for them all. However, caring for so many people came with a cost. Roberta didn't care about herself. It had started when one of her fellow cheerleaders Brooke Hiney (Girl #3) had made an offhand comment about Roberta's weight. Roberta had then done everything in her power to lose weight. When nothing seemed to help, she cut out food altogether. The sad thoughts soon followed. Roberta couldn't shake the constant feeling of loneliness. She had friendly and amicable relationships with everyone, but few deep, real, and genuine friendships. Roberta was always there for others, but others were never there for her. The cutting had followed soon after. At first, it was only on occasional habit. Whenever she felt bad, she would cut to make the pain go away. But it had soon spiraled out of control. Her parents had finally discovered one day when Roberta had rolled up her sleeve without thinking too much about it. Her overprotective parents quickly got her the help she needed. Roberta had started going to therapy and taking antidepressants. Admittedly, these were helping. Roberta was starting to feel better. However, she would never fully overcome her sad feelings.

"So do you think we should do it?" Asked Caydon Qian (Boy #11). The small Asian boy was leaned up against Roberta and his head was resting on her shoulder. The two of them had been fortunate enough to run into each other during the early hours of the game. Caydon was a complete and utter mess. Roberta had found him sobbing deeply. He was trying to hide in some bushes but his crying was loud enough to draw lots of attention. Roberta had gotten him to stop for his own safety. Caydon had found that his weapon was a gun and had quickly tried to kill himself. That was when he discovered that his weapon was actually a water gun. The two of them had wandered around the forest until they had discovered the dead body of Jack Paden (Boy #9). Caydon had started panicking and Roberta had had to calm down again. Now, the two were in an open field trying to hide themselves in some tall grass. However, that would soon change.

"Yeah, I think we should. I don't know what else to do," Replied Roberta.

She knew that trying to get the attention of others would probably be a death sentence. There had been attempts on almost every season to try to rally people together to try to stop the killing. They always failed. But now, these two were planning to do just that. They didn't have a megaphone or anything to help amplify their sound. The pair had decided to go about their plan anyway.

Roberta truthfully didn't care if she lived or died. The Program was a fucked up situation and even if she were to survive, she would still feel dead on the inside. She would also be eternally scarred. Roberta just wanted to save as many people as possible. Just like in her everyday life, she would never stop caring about others. Caydon was useless and she knew that. Roberta still wouldn't abandon him. The 5'5, 100 pound 18 year old wouldn't stand a chance with his water gun. Though Roberta knew her weapon wasn't much better. Her assigned weapon was a lighter. _It figures that someone as useless as me would get a completely useless weapon._ Roberta flicked the lighter on and watched as it illuminated the area in front of her.

"Be careful with that, you don't want to start a forest fire," Said Caydon.

Roberta turned the lighter off. Who would she even run into if she called out for people? Would it be a friend or an enemy? Roberta wondered if the people who had been her friends in school would even care about her now. _Not like they ever really cared._

"I suppose we should get started," Said Roberta as she stood up. Caydon followed suit. Roberta flicked her lighter on and began to wave it around. Caydon turned on his flashlight and moved it all around the area. The light illuminated the trees and darkness that surrounded them.

"IF ANYONE CAN HEAR ME, WE DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU!" Yelled Roberta at the top of her lungs.

"WE WANT TO THINK THINGS OUT RATIONALLY!" Shouted Caydon.

"THERE HAS TO BE SOME WAY TO ESCAPE! PLEASE DON'T GIVE IN TO ALL OF THIS!" Yelled Roberta.

The two of them didn't expect anyone to respond, at least not immediately. So they were very surprised when they almost instantly heard footsteps approaching. They stopped yelling and turned in the direction of the noise. Caydon pointed his flashlight at the treeline.

Roberta gulped. The whole point of what she and Caydon had just done was to attract people to their location. So why did she suddenly feel so nervous when their plan had succeeded?

Sheila Gualtieri (Girl #24) stepped into the light. She shielded her eyes and pointed her own flashlight at the pair ahead of her.

Roberta had never really know Sheila very well, but she knew about her. Sheila was a very conservative Christian girl. She had attended private school up until 10th grade and her adjustment into public school had been rough.

Sheila's bright blonde hair was visible even in the darkness. Roberta could see that Sheila was wearing a loose fitting shirt and a skirt. In the three years that Roberta had know Sheila, she had never seen the girl wear pants. Sheila was a nice girl, just a bit unaccustomed to the real world.

"Hello there," Said Caydon. He was always eager to speak up.

"Hi," Said Sheila. She glanced from one to the other. Roberta could tell by the look on Sheila's face that she instantly regretted coming out to the two of them.

"I'm glad you decided to team up with us," Said Roberta as she made her way toward Sheila. Roberta could see Sheila tense up. Her grip on her candlestick tightened. Roberta stuck her hand out. Sheila looked down and slowly placed her hand into Roberta's. They shook hands.

Caydon approached the two and smiled. "I'm sure with our brain power combined, we can come up with a way to get out of here."

"Well nothing is stopping us from trying," Said Roberta. She smiled at Sheila. Sheila smiled back.

"Be careful if you run into Charles. He attacked me right after I left the school," Said Sheila.

"Charles? Really?" Asked Roberta in shock. She knew that Charles was picked on by quite a few people, but she couldn't have imagined that we would attack people. Little did she know that he had been responsible for two deaths on the island.

"Thanks for letting me know," Said Roberta, "I got this lighter as my weapon and Caydon got a water gun."

"Looks like we got nothing good," Said Sheila.

"It's not like we're going to fight anyway," Said Roberta. She would not attack in any situation. Even if she got attacked, she would refuse to fight back. It just went against her nature. The only person she wanted to hurt was herself. Roberta would simply let her killer kill her. However, if no one had to die that was even better. It was well known that escape from The Program in this day and age was impossible. But Roberta would try. She would use her genius level IQ for good and save the lives of her classmates. Maybe then she would finally feel some self-worth.

* * *

Cam Perez (Boy #22) absolutely loved his weapon. He didn't even really know if he could consider it a weapon. Cam had received a folder, and inside the folder was a profile on each and every single contestant. He was very eager to read up on everything.

Cam had left the school and seen the body of Red Tosteson (Boy #21) on the ground. He had instantly run. It had later occurred to Cam that the boy may not have even been dead. It was too late to go back and check.

He had found his way to the Northern edge of the island and taken refuge in a large office building. That is where he had remained.

Cam had thoroughly read through all the information on the folders and was just about to read the last one.

The information that Cam had discovered about his fellow classmates was super interesting. He had no idea how the government had even managed to obtain some of this information. Cam had absorbed all the information in that he could. He had no idea that Darren Tabor's (Boy #5) dad was a famous NBA player. That explains why he was so rich. However, most of the information that Cam had discovered was less than happy.

For example, Cam was shocked to discover that Missy Kressin (Girl #21) had been raped in the tenth grade. And it had been by someone on this very island! Cam was appalled to find that Roberta Hernandez (Girl #22) was not as happy as she appeared to be. She had been attending therapy sessions and dealing with severe depression and anorexia. Cam was horrified when he read about the drinking and abuse that took place in the household of Rosanna Morani (Girl #7). He knew that the world was fucked up, but he didn't know that the lives of his classmates were so bad too. The biggest shock had come when Cam read his own folder. Under the tab that described the relationships of the contestant with their fellow classmates, he had discovered that many of the people he considered friends despised him. Their "jokes" had not been jokes at all. Cam knew that he was incredibly weird and awkward, but he thought people appreciated his quirky nature.

"These folders smell like lemon," Said Cam to no one. He tried to memorize the important information. He tried to determine based on the information who would be playing the game. Cam wanted to avoid as much conflict as he could. That's why he had found a large building to hide in and hid taken the stairs all the way to the top floor. He now sat at one of the many desks of the office building.

Cam decided that he should try to find a better weapon to defend himself with. Unless he could blackmail people to get them to leave him alone, Cam was defenseless. He checked through the drawers of the many desks and found nothing. Those in charge of The Program had really done a good job of taking away everything. Cam heard a noise which got his attention immediately. What was it? _Ding._

Someone had taken the elevator to the very floor that Cam was on. Only one thought popped into his mind. _There was an elevator? Fuck, I took the stairs! What a waste of my energy!_

Cam went back to the desk and began to collect the contestant files. He put them all back into the folder except for the one he hadn't read which was lying on the desk. Cam picked it up and stared at the picture of Kasey Caputo (Girl #25). Her light brown hair, pimply face, and braces were her defining characteristics. Cam glanced up from the folder and started directly into the face of the very same girl.

Kasey stood staring at Cam with a look that he could only describe as crazy. She clutched a boomerang in her hand and was breathing heavily.

"Shit dude, you scared me," Said Cam as he placed her file into the folder and dropped it in his pack. He smiled at the girl to try to show that he was no threat. She didn't respond. Cam fidgeted his hands together.

"Have you run into anybody?" He asked. No response. Cam was very uncomfortable. The only file that he hadn't read was Kasey's. Cam didn't have any information on the girl, and he had no idea whether or not she would be playing the game. Cam took a step back and noticed the girl tense up. Suddenly, she spoke.

"I DON'T WANNA DIE!" She yelled and sprinted toward Cam. She leapt over the top of the desk and swung her boomerang at Cam. He ducked just in time.

"Dude, what the fuck!" Shouted Cam. Kasey jumped off of the desk and threw her boomerang at Cam. He avoided the attack again and the boomerang sailed back to Kasey.

Kasey screamed like a maniac and charged at Cam. She swung the boomerang at his face and he used his arm to block it. He yelled in pain as the boomerang hit his arm hard. He kicked Kasey in the shin and pushed her onto the ground. It was easy for him to overpower her.

Cam ran toward the elevator and could hear Kasey get up and give chase. He pushed the button to go down but knew he wouldn't have time to wait. He looked back to see Kasey right on his heels. Cam ran to the stairs. He made his way down the first flight but could feel Kasey swing the boomerang. He tripped over his legs and fell down the stairs. Kasey threw the boomerang at him but Cam managed to catch it. Kasey angrily ran down the stairs as Cam managed to stand up. She ran up to him, but Cam hit her in the head with her own boomerang. Kasey grabbed onto his arms and tried to steal the boomerang away. Cam fought back and pulled even harder on the boomerang. Kasey's slip loosened, but she pulled anyway. Cam pulled as hard as he could and Kasey's grip was completely lost. She fell backwards and into the railing of the stairs.

"NO!" Yelled Cam but it was already too late. Kasey had fallen backwards over the railing of the stairs and plummeted downwards. She fell fifteen stories and landed on the floor on the first floor.

"Oh shit," Said Cam as he sat on the ground. He had basically just killed somebody. He had killed someone nice! Kasey was just a nice little nerdy girl who got picked on a lot. She had let the paranoia of it all overwhelm her.

Cam put his head in his hands and began to weep. It was all too much for him to handle.

* * *

"I'm so tired, oh my fuckin' God, can we stop?" Asked Tiara Walker (Girl #12).

"We need to get to the top of the mountain," Said Arianna Johnson (Girl #15).

"Yeah, that's the safest place to be," Said Sara Johnson (Girl #11).

Tiara bent over and put her hands on her legs. "I just need like a five minute break."

Arianna rolled her eyes. Typical entitled behavior. If she could change her company to any other two people in the entire school, she would. Arianna loved her sister but she couldn't stand her or any of her friends. They were all so spoiled and entitled. Just because they came from money didn't mean they were better than everybody else. Little did Arianna know, Tiara wasn't even rich at all.

Arianna had exited the school not expecting anyone to be there for her (except maybe Charles Mulindi, Boy #24) but had been surprised to hear her sister call out for her. As much as Arianna disliked her sister, she was so glad to hear her voice. Arianna had run over to the bushes and seen her sister. She also saw Tiara and was instantly upset. At least her weapon was useful.

Sara's weapon was the worst of the three. She had received a single piece of chalk. It was just like the chalk that they had at school. Arianna's weapon wasn't that bad. She had received an axe. But Tiara had received one of the few guns that were offered that season. Specifically, she had received a Glock 17. She had absolutely no idea how to operate it.

"I want to get up as high as we can so that we can avoid others," Said Arianna as she impatiently tapped her foot on the ground.

"Waiting for five fucking minutes ain't a big deal," Said Tiara.

"Yeah, let's just stay calm," Said Sara who was also visibly tired. Most of the time the three had walked to the mountain, she had just been bitching about how her boyfriend Darren Tabor (Boy #5) hadn't waited for her outside of the school.

Arianna had suggested that the three head to the mountain so that they would have a height advantage over all of their peers. They could avoid contact with others and use Tiara's gun if necessary. The other two had bitched about having to climb up, but they had agreed that it was a good plan.

The three girls had made it to the mountain and began to follow the path up.

"Okay, can we please keep moving now?" Asked Arianna.

"I'm ready to go now," Said Tiara.

The three girls continued to move up the path without much conversation. The two girls had been complaining and bitching about the heat and the dirtiness of the forest, and Arianna had yelled at them to stop. The two didn't want to cross her anymore.

"How many people do you think are already dead?" Sara broke the silence of the group.

"Let's not worry about that," Said Arianna.

"I bet at least ten people are dead already," Said Tiara.

"I don't want to think about this," Said Arianna.

Sara shrugged. "I doubt it's that many, but I reckon there's at least six or seven."

"SHUT UP!" Shouted Arianna.

"Bitch, do you want people to hear us?" Asked Tiara.

"Girls, stop," Said Sara, "I hear someone."

The footsteps were light, but they were apparent. The three girls immediately stopped their bickering and huddled close together. They were at a fork in the road, and were standing in the middle of the two paths. There was a ledge to their right. The footsteps were coming from that direction. The three girls all aimed their flashlights up at the ledge and saw a figure standing at the edge. How long had he been there watching them?

Arianna squinted her eyes and her heart sank as she recognized the figure on the edge. It was Jarrod Fraumeni (Boy #2). He was also holding a gun! Upon closer inspection, Arianna realized that it a tranquilizer gun.

Tiara absolutely froze. She didn't remember that she had a gun, she didn't remember that she could have run, and she didn't remember that she was in the company of two other people. All of her attention was focused on the enigma that was Jarrod.

Jarrod was a loner through and through. He always kept to himself and had little to no friends. He wasn't a basket case like Shadrach Smith (Boy #19), but no one really understood him. He was quiet by nature. No one made an effort with him, and he made an effort with no one.

He stood glancing down at the three girls with no emotion on his face. He had his tranq gun aimed directly at them. Jarrod was looking the three girls up and down. He recognized them, but couldn't put any names to their faces. Jarrod didn't care about any of his classmates. However, he didn't hate them, and he certainly wasn't a killer. Jarrod nodded in the other direction.

"Walk," Was all that he muttered.

The three girls didn't understand at first. Arianna was the first to react. She meekly nodded and began to speed walk down the path to the left. Sara and Tiara soon followed suit. Jarrod had gotten what he wanted. He was alone again.

"Oh shit, that was scary," Said Tiara as the three girls slowed their jog back down into a walk.

"Do you think he's following us?" Asked Sara.

"No, he just wanted us to leave," Said Arianna. The three girls continued along the path.

"I am so tired of these damn bugs always biting me," Said Tiara as she continued to swat at the bugs that were surrounding her.

"There are bigger issues than bugs here. Our friends are dying," Said Arianna.

"Stop being such a downer, why are you always like this?" Asked Sara.

"She must just be jealous of our popularity," Said Tiara.

"Yes, I'm soooooo jealous," Said Arianna as she rolled her eyes. Typical bitches. Always just assuming people were jealous of them. They could never disagree with them because they were obnoxious or annoying. Nope, they were just jealous. Arianna knew that she couldn't lose her temper. There were her allies at the moment and she needed the protection of Tiara's gun. Tiara wasn't important, her gun was. Arianna began to think to herself. _Maybe if I can just get her gun…_

Arianna quickly snapped out of it. She couldn't actually kill anyone, even someone as obnoxious as Tiara. She sighed to herself. She would have to put up with these two annoyances for quite a bit longer.

 **42 Students Remaining**


	9. Hour 6

Hour 6

As 6:00 rolled around, everything on the island seemed at peace. The sun was beginning to shine, illuminating the many beautiful trees. The birds were chirping as they flew around. The other small animal life on the island went about doing their business. The flowers soaked in the sun. The dead bodies scattered around the island didn't exactly fit in.

The loudspeakers centered in the middle of the island crackled with life. Music began blaring from the speakers as loud as they could go.

 _Let the bodies hit the floor_

 _Let the bodies hit the floor_

 _Let the bodies hit the floor_

 _Let the bodies hit the….FLOOOOOOOOOOR!_

Parsons cleared his throat as he began to speak. He sighed and then began his morning announcements. "Good morning contestants! I hope if any of you were asleep, that you're up now. Sleeping is very dangerous in this game. It's also so incredibly boring for our viewers! Step it up, I'm very disappointed! There have only been eight deaths so far! And I've caused t- one of them for you! Anyways, here are the names of your classmates that are dead in the order that they died. The first one eliminated was Girl #19, the pessimist Itzel Janik, who was unfortunately taken out prior to the start of this game. The second person to bite the bullet was Boy #8, the thug, Gustavo Hickson, taken out by yours truly. You're welcome for improving your odds of winning. The next person who is now no longer with us is Boy #25, Romeo himself, Armando Stepler. He took the pussy way out, and I hope none of you wimp out like him. His family should be absolutely ashamed to have raised such a coward. The next person to die by an actual competitor of this game was none other than Boy #9, the dumbass, Jack Paden. What a brutal death, but still not anything too exciting. The audience wants to see a good fight, don't disappoint them! Another boy graces the list next, the soccer star Boy #6 Ramsey Awad. Now his death was actually pretty interesting. Next to die was Girl #16, the class whore, Griselda Jones. Not much to say about her, another coward's way out. She should've just faced up to her attacker and died gracefully. But oh well,let's move on to the next death. That would be Boy #17, the bigot, Jed Moore. Another pretty satisfying death, congratulations to his murderer. You are a true contender to take this whole competition! The last name on this list is Girl #25, the nerd, Kasey Caputo. The crazy ones never seem to go very far. Remember to keep a rational head as you slaughter all of your classmates. Get ready to mark the danger zones down! Just a reminder that these zones were chosen completely at random. The first zone will go active at 6:20, and it is I-9, I repeat, I-9. So all of you camped out in the residential area are already being forced to move around. The second danger zone is D-6, one more time that's D-6. That zone will become active at 6:40. The last of the danger zones is located at B-1, that's B-1, going into effect at 7 o'clock sharp. So those of you hiding in some of those big buildings in the urban area will also have to start moving. Remember, there are hidden prizes scattered about the island. A lot of you have some pretty shitty weapons, so I'd go looking if I was you. That's all for now."

Carter Koenig (Boy #13) still couldn't believe what he had heard. One of his good friends Gustavo had died right in front of him, and now his best friend Jack was also dead. Carter and his two buddies Lee Gauron (Boy #10) and Milo Gibbon (Boy #16) had heard the news and reacted immediately. Lee was just shaking his head angrily and stomping around while swearing under this breath. Milo had immediately broken down and began to cry, only to be comforted by Mina Tsai (Girl #13) the lone girl of this group that was travelling together. Carter was sitting on a log with his head in his hands. This whole situation was so fucked up, and there was absolutely nothing that he could do.

The group of four had been walking around aimlessly since the three boys had met up with Mina. They had no idea where they were going, nor did they know what they were going to do if they encountered another person. Carter knew that he wouldn't kill, but he had no idea what someone like Lee was capable of. Their gang had done plenty of illegal things outside of The Program, but (as far as Carter knew) none of them had ever committed a murder. That's what it took to win this game though.

"Well guys, he's dead," Said Lee bluntly, "Nothing we can do about it now."

"This is beyond fucked up," Said Carter as he lifted his head out of his hands.

"No shit, dude," Said Lee.

"Hey man, I don't appreciate your attitude," Said Carter.

"Guys please, we need to just remain calm," Said Mina.

Ever since she had joined their group, Mina had been acting as the peacemaker. Carter appreciated her very much, and Milo did to some extent. Lee on the other hand, was not happy to deal with her. He saw her as a nuisance and a burden. Women weren't particularly strong, in Lee's mind, and especially not a soft girly girl like Mina.

Milo wiped some tears from his eyes and tried to calm himself. "I guess you're right Lee. Nothing we can do about it now."

Carter got up from the log and forced himself not to break down. He would never see Jack again, but he couldn't let that get him down now. Only six hours had passed and Carter along with forty-one of his other classmates were still alive. Why out of all those people did Jack have to be one of the few that died? He had to be strong.

"Should we continue to just sit around here or keep on the move?" Asked Carter.

"We've gotta keep going," Said Lee, "we're sitting ducks if we don't continue on. Now that it's bright out we can see others better, but they can also see us. Be sure to stay on your guard."

Milo nodded. He knew that if someone with a gun, or hell even a knife or blade for that matter, found them, they would be screwed. Between the four of them, none of them had a decent weapon. Lee could give someone a booboo with one of his darts and maybe Carter could strangle someone with his yo-yo if they were on a suicide mission and allowed him to do so. Otherwise, there was nothing they could do.

"Let's just keep going the same way we have been," Suggested Carter as he dusted some dust and dirt from his clothes. He began to lead the way, but was quickly passed by Lee. Lee could never pass up the chance to take control. Carter sighed to himself as he continued to trudge on.

"We're heading into zone E-8 right now," Said Lee as he studied his map.

"Just more forest," Said Carter. The four in the group decided that they shouldn't bother trying to hide somewhere in the urban area. The residential area was now a Danger Zone, supposedly chosen at random. Carter knew that it was utter bullshit. The zones weren't chosen at random at all, they were chosen to force people out of hiding. The audience wanted to see conflict, and they would force it if they had to.

The four remained silent as they wove their way through the trees. The bug bites and scratches had already started to accumulate, but those were the least of their concerns.

Carter had to force the images of his mother out of his head. He couldn't let these thoughts weaken him. He would make it out of here, he just had to take it one step at a time.

Milo opened his mouth, seemingly about to say something, but was hushed by Lee. Lee nodded in the direction to the right of where they were heading. There were faint voices coming from over there. Lee motioned for the group to follow after him, and they slowly began to creep over.

The four of them could make out three figures standing in the middle of a patch of tall grass. Mina was the first to recognize the three of them. The figures belonged to none other than Roberta Hernandez (Girl #22), Sheila Gualtieri (Girl #24), and Caydon Qian (Boy #11). The three of them were all pretty nice people. Mina and Roberta were good friends, and Mina knew Roberta was someone who cared about all of the kids in their grade. Sheila was a bit of an odd girl who held her religious beliefs very seriously. Despite her slightly odd tendencies, she was a nice girl. Caydon was a little sweetheart, and Mina and a lot of the other girls in the school found him adorable (in the same sense as one might find a puppy adorable).

"Hey guys!" Shouted Mina as she stepped from the clearing and walked toward the three.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Said Lee. He grabbed the back of Mina's shirt and pulled her back. "Don't you dare go charging out recklessly like that."

"I know these guys, they're nice," Said Mina.

"Too late now, they know we're here," Said Carter as he stepped forward.

The three that were in the grass began to head over to the group of four.

"Mina! It's so good to see you!" Said Roberta. Mina ran forward and the two girls hugged. The others all stared at each other and sized each other up. No one trusted anyone.

"What have you three been up to?" Asked Mina.

"We're trying to gather people, and well, we've gotten one so far," Said Roberta as she motioned to Sheila, "And now we have four more."

"What weapons do you have?" Demanded Lee.

Roberta was a bit taken aback, but she answered nonetheless. "I got a lighter, Caydon has a water gun, and Sheila has a candlestick."

"Well shit, all seven of us got fucked," Said Milo.

"It's fine, it's not like we're going to attack anyone," Replied Sheila.

Lee frowned. How on earth could these people be so naive? "Well sweetheart, not everyone is going to be as gracious as it when it comes to showing mercy."

The mood of the group was very tense. Everyone could feel it, except for Mina. As she glanced from one person to the other, she couldn't help but smile. There were so many of them. They would be sure to find a way to escape.

"Have you guys come up with any plans yet?" Asked Mina.

"We were hoping that we could come across people who got grenades as weapons," Said Caydon, "And then we were going to try to blow up the school."

"Could you be any more retarded?" Asked Lee.

"Hey man, chill!" Snapped Carter.

"That will never work," Said Lee.

Carter sighed. Lee's attitude was beginning to grind his gears. The constant negativity was absolutely unneeded in this situation that was already bad enough. If Carter could send Lee away, he would.

"We'll never know unless we try," Said Sheila.

"Yeah Lee, have an open mind," Said Milo.

Lee turned to him angrily. His only ally was beginning to turn on him too.

"Well we don't have any fucking grenades," Said Lee.

"We'll just have to be patient," Replied Roberta. Leave it to her to always have a level head.

"In the meantime, I think we should just sit and get to know each other," Said Mina.

"I love that idea!" Said Caydon as he jumped up and down. Everyone except for Lee began to head to back to the center of the field of grass. Lee was absolutely stunned. How could these people be so incredibly stupid? People were dying, for fuck's sake, and they wanted to get to know each other? Lee was dumbfounded.

"Lee, you coming?" Carter yelled from across the field. Lee sighed and made his way over to the others. _I'd rather be dead_ _than be with these people._

Nigella Smith (Girl #9) glanced at her map one last time just to be sure that she was safe. She was. The gas station that she was hiding in (and had been for the majority of the game) was in section C-1, and section B-1 was one of the upcoming danger zones. One of her exits was going to be sealed off, but Nigella didn't care. She wanted to be safe. She craved company, but she also craved protection, and this gas station was protecting her fairly well so far. Nigella had heard one person into the gas station a couple hours ago, but heard the person leave (presumably after finding Armando's body hanging in the back). Now she was alone once again.

After eating three entire bags of chips, Nigella wasn't feeling very well. The gas station was loaded with junk foods. Nigella just couldn't resist.

With a full stomach and eyes tired from crying, Nigella was finally able to fall asleep. She was hiding behind one of the shelves of food.

As Nigella was drifting off, she couldn't help but think about Armando. She would miss the way that he was there for her, and the way she felt when she was around him. He wasn't like those other guys, he was different. Nigella didn't just see herself as being with him for a couple weeks or months. This time was different, it was serious.

Nigella was fast asleep. She was sheltered from view of the door. However, she didn't hear it open. She also didn't hear the footsteps of the new intruder. She was unaware of the fact that she was no longer alone. But most of all, Nigella was unaware of the fact that her boyfriend's body was being stolen.

 **42 Students Remaining**


End file.
